


and the stars answered their desperate prayers

by adazaii20



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Not K-Pop Idols, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Campfires, Inspired by Kimi no Na wa. | Your Name., M/M, Plot, Reincarnation, University Student Boo Seungkwan, University Student Chwe Hansol | Vernon, but it is nowhere near this movie, other than the thing you'll see in chapter one, they're all getting that uni education, yes we're going there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 41,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23415139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adazaii20/pseuds/adazaii20
Summary: Hansol and Seungkwan weren't always their names. They used to be Jaesang and Hyeongi, respectively, two men who had the strongest love in their entire village.However, something angered the stars the village worshipped, and the two were separated for centuries.Who knew their second encounter could cause such chaos?(aka: a verkwan reincarnation au)
Relationships: Boo Seungkwan/Chwe Hansol | Vernon
Comments: 36
Kudos: 110





	1. The Village of Rose Petals

**Author's Note:**

> ...
> 
> ...celestial bodies are pretty lit, man
> 
> But hey, if you're here, welcome to a fic written by another piece of verkwan trash ;D
> 
> I'll most likely be updating this fic on a weekly basis, around this time (Monday-Tuesday).
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...
> 
> ...bear with me for a bit.
> 
> Also, names are different for this chapter only:  
> Hyeongi = Seungkwan  
> Jaesang = Hansol

The village of Rose Petals worshipped the stars.

Above the humans, there was always a myriad of stars, decorating the skies no matter what time of day. They worshipped the Sun in the daytime, thanking it for providing their people with just the right yield of crops to feed their families; they worshipped the Sun's children at night, their bright dispositions promising eternal happiness and joy even in the darkest of times. The villagers loved the stars, and the stars loved them.

But more importantly, the villagers loved each other.

The village of Rose Petals was fortunate enough to keep away from conflict. Instead of spending their hours sharpening lethal tools of harsh metal to war with other villages, they sought each other in their core values of love. The villagers' interactions with each other were the embodiment of peace. Even without the fiery passion that came with romantic love, the villagers cared for one another very deeply. It wasn't uncommon to find people walking hand-in-hand in the streets as they engaged in playful banter that echoed like wonderful melodies throughout the village.

Yet one day, if one searched hard enough, they would find two men beside each other, their backs against the sturdiest tree of the neighboring woods. 

Jaesang and Hyeongi, as they were once known, had just come back from catching fish for their families. The basket of carp remained intact a few meters away while the men were resting. This wasn't the first time they did this--this wasn't the first time they enjoyed each other's company in the forest's tranquility, listening to the robins’ chatter as they flew above the rose bushes. They were good friends as they have known each other since they were mere babes. Their undeniable trust in each other was never questioned.

Hyeongi, however, had many questions then.

Recently, he's somehow taken notice of the many apparent features his best friend proudly possessed: a strong, defined jaw set with mirthful eyes and a smile that could seem vulpine when looked at from a certain angle. His hair was soft, which reminded Hyeongi of the quilts his older sisters knit in their free time. Jaesang has always felt like home to him; there was no way he couldn't feel like home to any of the lovely ladies of their village.

And the ladies. When had they become so many? Every time the two of them went to the market, Jaesang would always be the center of attention, captivating the hearts of women young and old. And every time one of them was courageous enough to confess their feelings to him, Jaesang would always decline their requests for courtship with an amicable smile and eyes of saddened guilt. These features alone only increased the ladies' desire for him. But the question to beg? Why did he never accept a single woman?

"You have many of our village's women pining after you," Hyeongi brought up eventually, and the rose bushes anticipated every word. "Do none of them interest you in any way?"

Jaesang sighed, a revelation to Hyeongi of his true feelings. "One day, I shall prostrate myself in front of the women and beg them for forgiveness," he admitted.

"What could you possibly have done that would warrant you doing such a thing?"

Despite Hyeongi's exasperation, Jaesang merely shut his eyes and breathed in deeply. "It's something they could never understand." Hyeongi stifled a gasp.

What if Hyeongi could understand him?

A foolish thought at first, but Hyeongi then pondered on it for a while longer. Out of the rest of the villagers, he was the closest to Jaesang. He knew what he cherished the most in life: happiness for others. That's why Jaesang would look so pained after every apology he made to the women who wanted him. He never wants to disappoint anyone, but Hyeongi feels as that was his only weakness.

In any case, Hyeongi wanted to help his friend. He didn't like seeing him this lonely with no one to answer his pleas for understanding. "Jaesa--" He couldn't ask him such a thing. Especially now, when he's peacefully sleeping, nature as his pillow and the robins as his lullaby. 

Hyeongi was grateful to the stars for giving him the sense of touch. For some unknown reason, he found himself more inclined to grace his hands upon Jaesang, especially his face, where Hyeongi would dream of skirting his fingertips across his best friend's jawline, cheeks--dare he say, _lips_ \--as a way of thanking the stars for crafting such a wonderful man for this world. Although they were close, Hyeongi wished for nothing more than Jaesang's happiness. And maybe he was bold enough to believe that he could be a part of that happiness.

But those were thoughts that Jaesang, hopefully, would discover another day.

For in that moment, Hyeongi took to brushing the tousled bangs out of Jaesang's face. As he did this, he stared at the beauty that was his best friend, and he couldn't help but feel his heart pick up in speed. One day, Jaesang would eventually find someone to settle down with. They would establish a strong and loving family that would last for generations. Jaesang would eventually grow old with the one he cherished the most, and their graves would be placed beside each other as if any other place would seem a disgrace to the stars. And upon thinking about the future Jaesang would inevitably have, Hyeongi's heart ached with loneliness and desperation. Loneliness from potentially losing his best friend, and desperation...

...desperation for Jaesang to see him as the one who truly belonged to him.

Hyeongi couldn't decipher the meaning behind the feelings that erupted in him. It could've been a need that Hyeongi had to essentially fulfill in his role as a social species, or it could've been an indication of something much larger at work, larger than what the stars have ever promised him before. But reason and potential escaped from him as he yearned to satisfy his final wishes before he had to accept reality.

As he removed his hand from Jaesang's bangs, Hyeongi lowered his hand to grasp onto Jaesang's left hand. He could conjure up an infinite list of reasons that would dissuade him from doing what he was about to do. However, the stars blessed him with this moment in time, and Hyeongi wasn't going to let it flee. Therefore, after exhaling a shaky breath, Hyeongi nervously lifted up Jaesang's hand to his lips and kissed it. 

In kissing Jaesang's hand, Hyeongi has never spoken more honestly. He praised the stars for forging Jaesang in their own image; he praised the stars for allowing them to meet--if they had never met, Hyeongi would've never known the precious sentiment of companionship and its significance on the human heart; he praised the stars for his current relationship with Jaesang, as he knew that Jaesang would accept him in any shape, way, or form; he praised the stars for the oncoming heartbreak he will eventually feel as the ideal future for Hyeongi could never take place.

But most importantly, Hyeongi pleaded to the stars that Jaesang would always have their guidance in every decision he would make, and that the stars would safely guide him through the tribulations that the world will certainly offer him.

The stars gave Jaesang to the world, and Hyeongi wanted to protect him from it.

Jaesang's hand twitched, and Hyeongi had no choice but to open his eyes. What he thought as his demise was something completely indeterminable. No, Hyeongi saw Jaesang's eyes: they should be nothing more than a common occurrence, for it wasn't the first time they looked at each other. But Hyeongi dared to remain rooted and taken in the sight before him. Jaesang had been looking at him, sure, but Hyeongi knew that this was more than the two had ever expected--Jaesang was finally seeing him in Hyeongi's most exposed form, soul bared to someone else other than the stars, and Hyeongi was scared of his best friend for the first time. The air was insufferably unpredictable. Hyeongi could do nothing but wait.

And then, in one swift gesture, Jaesang had lowered their joined hands to Hyeongi's thigh and leaned in to capture Hyeongi's lips.

Hyeongi's heart surged within his chest as if the northern ocean finally received warmth from the rising sun of the east. This was meaningful to Hyeongi. This meant that Jaesang saw something in _him_ that he didn't see in any of the other women. Could it be? Does he find home with him of all people? Hyeongi was on the brink of sobbing (and he always believed that tears were something that the stars could only witness), but he cradled his almost-shattered spirit and gave it to Jaesang, silently giving him permission to do what he desired with it, for Hyeongi proclaimed himself as his and his alone. But little did he know that Jaesang had given himself to him many years ago, when Jaesang met a boy whose smile shone with the radiance of a billion stars.

But now they knew.

They knew how they had each other, and none of them wanted to change that.

* * *

Months passed, and Hyeongi had never been happier.

In the weeks that came, Hyeongi did business as usual--his work as a medicine man-in-training was essential as, in a few years' time, he would be tasked with the maintenance of their village's health. Although he wasn't the only prospective medicine man--the village was vast, and Hyeongi certainly could never be capable of helping the North, West, and South sectors alone--his knowledge held intrinsic value for a quarter of the population. And he wasn't the only one moving forward--in the late afternoons, when Hyeongi would meet up with him after work hours to walk back home together, Jaesang would show his pride as an apprentice carpenter in the many anecdotes he would recite under the twilight sky.

Of course, the routine was starkly different compared to before. At that time, Jaesang and Hyeongi would come back home later than normal. If they happened to hear their mothers comment on the new phenomenon--"My, they've gotten much closer recently, haven't they?"--they would certainly agree with what they said. They retained some elements of their previous routine as there were days where they recounted their eventful days with animated chatter, or tiring days where at least one of them was disappointed in how certain things happened in unprecedented ways, and those days had been spent in each other's company, silence being their additional companion.

But as they were aware of the love they had for each other, they made up for the past twelve years of deception. They found solace in each other in ways that only the two of them would ever know about. Fortunately, they took their time and were able to chart the unmarked territories of their supple bodies, seeking release and satisfaction from finally being able to delve into their love. Hyeongi was especially about this as his hands could roam over Jaesang's body unabashedly, and Jaesang would reciprocate with the same lust-filled devotion fueled by nothing but passion. 

Did the village know what they were up to? To the two of them, it didn't matter, but they certainly wanted to keep to themselves. They've always been together, but this was a period of rediscovery for them, and the intimate ritual was to go uninterrupted.

But the stars were disturbed. 

Not by Jaesang and Hyeongi's love--no, they wholeheartedly supported it, glowing brighter than usual with the moon on the night they first became one--but there was something sinister in the air. The two of them, however, never knew what the stars were thinking, and they respected them to not pry about anything that would destroy the balance. Instead, they had opted to get themselves ready for the annual Festival of Stars.

The festival always took place on the day of the spring solstice. 12 hours dedicated to each set of stars in their respective realms--12 hours of the brilliant day, 12 hours of the twinkling night. The day was filled with dances that represented the sun in humanity. Young children learned how the sun blessed the world with daytime so they could see and feel the world beam with life energy. It was the most raucous part of the festival as all the villagers celebrated with the gift of light.

The night was dedicated to preparing dinners where prayers would reverberate around the village. These prayers would be centered on thanking the stars not only for their existence but also for the blessings that they have given them. While the sun blessed them with life and light, the nighttime stars blessed them with the creation of man and hope. It was the nighttime stars who safely gave passage to deserving sailors on the open ocean. It was the nighttime stars who bore witness to humanity's most private moments as revelations and secrets were most often shared in the dark. It was the nighttime stars who protected humans against the demons of the night--the demons within them, so to speak.

During the day, Jaesang and Hyeongi were with their respective families, taking part in the festivities despite their separation. Hyeongi helped his sisters put away the winter shawls and blankets and served as a cooking aid for the hearty feast they shared with some family friends on the other side of the neighborhood; Jaesang and his sister lead some of the younger children in some engaging games that increased the amount of laughter in the air. The two dedicated themselves to bringing happiness to others in the day as that was what the sun would want.

The nighttime was where everything would change for the better.

As the village quieted to hushed volumes of intimacy and solidarity, eventually, Jaesang and Hyeongi found each other once more as their families reunited for the Great Dinner in the center of the village. It had been a spectacular night. The stars had been shining, their bodies more luminous to mark the memorable occasion that would take place that night. That had been one of the remarks Hyeongi had heard from Jaesang, and the complete admiration he had for his lover merely filled his soul as if a goblet could no longer hold its wine. Both of them loved the stars, but Hyeongi could never tire of Jaesang’s soliloquies to the celestial bodies.

They sat beside each other when the meal was served. Before they ate, they thanked the stars for bringing each other into existence, holding hands under the table as they prayed their sonnets of gratitude.

The dinner was short as the villagers were restless for what seemed to be the most exciting part of the festival—the lantern promise. As one of the most beautiful traditions of the Festival of Stars, the lantern promise included the release of multiple, candle-lit lanterns into the sky as a peace offering to the stars, asking them for their guidance for the following twelve months. The sight was always one worthy of beholding, and Hyeongi had always loved how the lanterns in the sky would sparkle in Jaesang’s eyes. However, this time, Hyeongi was able to do much more with the lanterns now that he’s satisfying his love.

It is unclear as from where the legend originated, but it became a popular belief amongst the villagers. Essentially, if a pair of lovers wrote their names on the same lantern, the stars would receive their declaration of love and pronounce it faithfully, creating a love that would transcend infinity. The phenomenon had been popular for many years and continued to be well-known even in Jaesang and Hyeongi’s time. And the two wanted nothing more than to confirm their love with not just each other, but also with the stars.

It wasn’t long before the streets became populated with big lanterns that appeared innumerable to the human eye. Tiny lanterns donned the grips of equally small children, and the elderly also held tight to their own lanterns as they never knew when the stars would finally call them home. As the villagers gathered by the river—the optimal place for the stars to receive their offerings—Jaesang and Hyeongi walked to the bank together. While Jaesang held the lantern, Hyeongi had brought black ink and the accompanying brush to write their names with. Their hearts ran high with nervousness and excitement upon knowing that their love might become eternal. Man-made legend or not, they wanted the stars to bless their love to the ends of the world and back, and they have never been so proud of each other for coming so far.

After a tender kiss shared between smiling lips, Jaesang and Hyeongi took turns writing their names on the lantern before them. While Hyeongi took his time to write his name as neatly as possible—he did not want the stars to misread his name—Jaesang quickly scrawled his name onto the paper as if eternity was too fast for them to catch. “Sorry,” he laughed when he saw Hyeongi’s stupefied expression, “I’m just too excited.” And Hyeongi forgave him, as he would always do.

Finally, with the sound of the horn, the villagers released their lanterns to the sky, taking their promises and their declarations to the endless vast of night. Jaesang and Hyeongi had let go of theirs at the same time, and they couldn’t help themselves but kiss lovingly, especially since Jaesang had spilled his tears from pure joy; a rare occurrence for a resilient man such as he, but Hyeongi accepted his tears just as Jaesang accepted every part of him. The night was alive with love and peace, and it seemed that the stars could never get enough of it. The evidence was evident in the multitude of lanterns in the air, and the villagers thought they had given birth to new stars that would accompany the ones already far away in the sky.

But the stars were disturbed.

Everyone thought it had been the greatest blessing from the stars when the clouds parted to reveal the streaking ball of light. It burned with a fire that had passion in its embers and magic in its wake. As it broke through the stars and forged its path, the villagers exclaimed at the wondrous sight that many would later dream about. Hyeongi’s older sisters even geared themselves to create a quilt that would match the spectacle witnessed that night.

Unfortunately, the awe was short-lived when a villager screamed at how the light twisted and turned. It could have been a trick of the eye; the human mind was just that vulnerable to manipulation. But the light had been increasing in size, which meant that it hurtled toward the villagers—and it hurtled, racing through the atmosphere as if it was nothing but a mere shrub in the woods.

The first thought that popped into Hyeongi’s head was Jaesang. His head whipped to face his lover, who was also looking at him with a paralleled look of fear. Jaesang clutched at Hyeongi’s arms as he trembled with dread. “Is it because of us—?” he sputtered out as he began to drown in all the wrong thoughts. “Is it because we weren’t allowed to love like this?” But that was completely incorrect, for the stars looked down on them and beamed with pride. Then again, Hyeongi wasn’t a star, and he could never know what they thought.

Instead of reassuring Jaesang, Hyeongi merely held him to his chest as he wheezed, attempting to regain some of the energy he had just a few minutes before. “We’ll be alright, ‘Sang. We’ll be just fine.” Suddenly, Hyeongi felt the weight in his arms increase threefold, causing both him and Jaesang to drop to the ground. Confusion painted his face at first, but it was soon taken over by the observation of Jaesang’s eyes fluttering shut and the feel of something hot against his back. When Hyeongi pulled his hand back to see what it was, he paled when he saw the furious red color his hand. “ _JAESANG!”_ Hyeongi anguished over his lover, who became colder by the second, and Jaesang could barely keep his eyes open.

He was at a loss of words. How could Jaesang receive such a fatal wound in a short amount of time? Did the light hit him in a way that could brutally injure him? Had he fallen over and scraped himself? Could—Hyeongi almost vomited at the forbidden thought—could a person do such a thing to beautiful Jaesang, who radiated with a power that exceeded the energy of a million children’s laughter? So many possibilities, but Hyeongi was unable to think any further when he felt Jaesang’s hand slide up his chest and cradle his neck.

“Hyeongi…” Jaesang exhaled out, and Hyeongi could no longer hold back his tears. “…Hyeongi…”

“W-What is it?” Hyeongi gritted through his sobs. “I’ll do anything for you, you know I will!”

Before any of them could utter a word more, the first impact hit the riverbank, and in an instant of stardust and fire,

Jaesang and Hyeongi were reduced to ashes.


	2. Welcome to the Real World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A.K.A - What happened to Hyeongi (Seungkwan) and Jaesang (Hansol) after the first chapter (lol).

Many centuries passed. 

As the calamity had stricken a long time ago, humanity has failed to chronicle the wonders of the Village of Rose Petals. As soon as the Great Comet made its mark upon the civilization, everything was decimated to mere particles. A large crater was left behind in its wake, but succession and time eventually regrew the area into a place of fresh vegetation that would later prove its use as agricultural land for the industrial world’s workings. And as for the stars, they remained in silence. They knew what they had caused upon their beloved followers, but it had been inevitable. 

Their reasoning would later be revealed by a boy with a mop of straight hair and a pair of eyes that shone the greatest with the sunlight.

For now, the modern world came into creation.

The stars watched as the humans rebuilt themselves from scratch, employing vicious monsters of metal greater than any convenient tool from the old times. The world became metal itself; not just a sphere of ores and resources, but also a sphere dominated with block-like establishments that scraped the skyline. Everywhere was populated with life, whether human or non-human, and the stars merely sat back and watched them carefully. 

Then, in April and May of 1997, the stars convened. And they came to a rightful consensus.

Hyeongi and Jaesang, now born as Boo Seungkwan and Hansol Vernon Chwe. For now, they were separated, eleven thousand miles of land and sea preventing them from ever having an encounter. But when Hansol’s family made the laborious journey by moving to Hongdae, the stars smiled and continued to patiently wait for the next move.

Even though they would know everything, from past lives to future encounters, they always love the present to see everything unravel in its worthy place.

In eighteen years’ time, however, the stars would become more attentive.

* * *

From the day he was born, Seungkwan always thought everything had a purpose. The blue sky, the smile on his mother’s face, the happy barking of his neighbor’s fluffy Samoyed dog—Seungkwan inherently knew that everything existed for a reason, even though he didn’t always know what that reason might be.

But if there’s one thing for certain, he knew that his first day of orientation at the Paion University went well for all the right reasons.

In high school, Seungkwan had been known for his lively personality—in the halls, one could always hear his eloquent manner of speaking with every hilarious story he recounted to his friends, or bear witness to his dramatic reactions to everything intriguing he so happened to hear. Seungkwan was a colorful personality through and through, and he never hesitated to show it. 

Despite that, he, too, was also subject to the “newness” of university life. 

The transition between high school and university, for those who were both fortunate and cursed to experience it, was always a limbo period of unpredictability. For most people, this period symbolized a time of change; burdened with the heavy objective of finding new friends again, as well as understanding the logistics of getting around the campus, prospective university students always had much to undergo before fully settling into their new lives. And as he began to understand how he had to deal with that on his first day of orientation, even vibrant Seungkwan was affected by that tinge of nervousness as he sat in the giant auditorium for all the freshmen students.

Although the university was fairly big with an undergraduate intake of approximately six thousand people, general orientation was split into sessions that took place throughout the entire week. Today was Seungkwan’s session, and honestly, he had no idea what to do with himself. The many people surrounding him added to the first-day jitters, and he wasn’t exactly keen on puking in the middle of the presentation. But it wasn’t long until things finally got started, and Seungkwan could breathe for a bit to pay attention.

As he gives his undivided attention to the two seniors explaining all the reasons why he  _ shouldn’t _ stress when entering university, Seungkwan hears the person to his left shift. Daring to take a peek at his seatmate, he almost pales when he sees the…certainly  _ diverse _ clothing choice his neighbor had. To say that there was an enormous difference between the black suit jacket and the rainbow tie-dye hoodie underneath would have been an understatement. 

As the off-kilter aura posed by the person beside him was eye-catching, Seungkwan couldn’t help but notice that the man’s eyes squinted at the presentation on the large screen. Were his eyes not so good? But then Seungkwan notices his glasses and notes that the red lenses matched with the red design on the PowerPoint, and it takes all the willpower in his exasperated wreck of a mind to not call the man beside him an idiot. 

“Um,” Seungkwan whispers to him as he taps on his shoulder, “maybe you should take off your glasses so you can see the presentation.” 

The man looks at him owlishly for a couple of seconds before looking back at the screen, and then turns back to Seungkwan. “Right,” he chuckles softly. 

Fluidly, the man takes off his eccentric glasses and tucks them into his hoodie’s pocket, and if Seungkwan had to be frank, his mind may have stuttered just a bit when he was able to see the man’s face. He was easy on the eyes and looked friendly enough. But the shocking thing was that, even though he’s never met him until now, Seungkwan’s heart strings tugged familiarly upon seeing him for the first time. 

Before he could get to questioning the strange feeling in his chest, Seungkwan scoffs as he turns himself back to the front. “What type of idiot wears red glasses inside, anyway…?” he inevitably comments.

His seatmate gasps mockingly. “Wasn’t my fault. I didn’t realize I was still wearing them until you pointed it out.”

At that remarkable statement, Seungkwan coughs to cover his sudden surge of laughter. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m really not! I always lose track of these types of things.”

Seungkwan merely sighs.

Ten minutes later, the same seatmate uses his elbow to nudge Seungkwan’s ribs. When Seungkwan faced him again, he could tell he was just as bored from the session as he was. “What are you studying here?” the man asks him.

“Plant Biology,” Seungkwan replies. An answer wouldn’t hurt, right?

The man hums out of interest. “That’s something I haven’t heard often.”

“Well, I like plants.”

“Why?”

Seungkwan doesn’t know why he’s so inclined to answer his questions, but he decides not to linger on the hesitation. “When I was younger, I learned that a lot of plants held medicinal properties for people in the past. Herbs and all that. And ever since then, I got interested in discovering why and how they worked like that, especially in those times where the world didn’t have doctors and fancy medicine like we do today. So yeah.” When he finishes his explanation, the newfound warmth in his cheeks color him oddly bashful and embarrassed. He didn’t realize he had shared so much until he finally registered his words in his head. And he said all that to a guy he just met. Hmm.

But when he sees the man’s face beaming with admiration and kindness, the embarrassment evaporates. “That’s actually really cool!” the man admits, and Seungkwan knew he was being genuine. 

“What about you? What are you studying?”

“Ah, me?” He smirks. “What do you think?”

“Well, certainly nothing in the arts department, given your… _ taste. _ ” Seungkwan deadpans as he gestures to the tacky clothes. 

The man finally cracks an audible laugh, and Seungkwan realizes he wouldn’t mind listening to his laugh on a daily basis. “I think  _ you’re _ the one who doesn’t know taste.” Both of them snicker at their childish antics, and it relieves Seungkwan of the tension he didn’t realize he had in his shoulders. “I’m studying Construction Technology.”

Although Seungkwan wants to respond to him and ask him about his choice of study, he suddenly notices that the session has ended and that he’s learned absolutely nothing. He turns around to continue talking to his seatmate, but his attention has been captured by a group of older-looking guys who coo at him, one of them even saying,  _ “Well, our Vernon’s finally here!” _ Therefore, Seungkwan chooses to leave him to be with his friends. 

Before he leaves, he makes eye contact with ‘Vernon’, so he smiles at him and hopes that he’ll have a smooth transition into university life. Given from what he’s seen from his personality, he’s sure the guy won’t have a hard time.

And with that, Seungkwan believes the same for himself.

* * *

Many people, when they go to university, aim to take part in a number of things, but an aspect they tend to focus on the most is the liberating independence and freedom they normally gain when they leave for this new stage of life. That normally meant more parties. More possibilities of getting wasted. But equally, a lot more time to actually manage oneself in the burden of university work.

It could potentially be overwhelming to a person, especially if they don’t have the right support system. That’s why Hansol’s so grateful to have his old friends here at the same university as him.

After orientation formalities, Hansol lounges around at a local café with Wonwoo, Mingyu, Jisoo, and Soonyoung. Although there were other people in his friend group, these were the people he tended to encounter the most, so he ended up becoming the closest to them as well. 

“It’s already obvious,” Mingyu raises his head from Wonwoo’s shoulder to properly look at Hansol, “but you’re coming with us to party for the rest of the week.”

“I don’t think I can actually party for now,” Hansol sighs, “since I still have a lot to unpack for my dorm room.”

“There’s a reason why you’re friends with all of us instead of being alone.” Jisoo raises an eyebrow. “We can always help you out.”

“The thing is, I wouldn’t mind that at all. Seriously. But my parents love me too much. They want to have a goodbye dinner and get all emotional over me finally leaving the house.”

Wonwoo snorts across the table. “Damn, that’s extra,” he comments.

“Oh, hush.” Soonyoung walks in with their drinks and sets them on the table before speaking again. “I still remember how homesick you got when you first came here. Waking up at midnight just to talk to your little brother. ‘Bohyuk~! Bohyuk~!’” Despite the raucous laughter that echoed around the table, Hansol swears he saw bloodlust in Wonwoo’s eyes as Soonyoung sat himself down.

“Well, if you can’t join us for partying this week, then that’s fine.” Jisoo sips precariously on his drink. “But now that everyone’s finally here, we can finally do  _ that. _ ”

“That?” Hansol queries, and it isn’t long until everyone else’s faces dawn in understanding.

“Jisoo’s been wanting to do this with everyone since the first year,” Mingyu chuckles with an easy smile, “so now that you’re actually available, he can finally do it.”

“Do what?” The confusion in Hansol’s voice has never been evident.

“Right!” Jisoo straightens himself up. “Soonyoung, get in touch with Jihoon and Jun. Mingyu, I’m sure you can get Seungcheol on board—well, it’ll be a double deal with his boyfriend, so that’s just as great—and…Seokmin?”

“He’ll probably come with Seungcheol as well,” Wonwoo explains.

“Can someone  _ please _ tell me what’s going on?” Hansol begs, and his friends plaster satisfied smirks upon their faces.

“We’re going on a small road trip to see the stars,” Jisoo finally explains with a smile.

* * *

Jisoo’s parents were ambitious. 

With every achievement they aimed for, they strived for perfection, and that included their family as well. So when Hong Jisoo came to Paion University as a fresh Astronomy student, his parents were immensely proud of him and the hard work he’s put in to get to where he is today.

Honestly, Jisoo didn’t like living under pressure from the home front, but if he was able to do something that would also please his parents, then he was practically killing two birds with one stone. Ever since he was a young child, Jisoo’s developed a fixation with outer space—galaxies, supernovas, and planets populated his dreams, and he’s never been happier to invest in them with his course at university.

The way Jisoo had explained it to Hansol made it seem like they were to conduct a giant heist, but it was merely a gathering of people at some remote field late at night to look at the stars. 

By Saturday night—the day before the month’s new moon—everything was already set. As Hansol, Jisoo, Wonwoo, and Mingyu drove off with Soonyoung at the wheel, Jisoo explained that Seungcheol and Jeonghan would be driving the others to the site.

“By the way,” Mingyu pipes up from a bag of chips cradled in his right hand, “didn’t Seokmin say he was bringing someone?” 

“Ah, right!” Soonyoung exclaims out of realization. “He’s bringing Chan!”

“Really? I once saw him perform at that district dance showcase. Jun wouldn’t shut up about him after that.” Wonwoo remarks.

“I’ve texted him a couple of times. I think this’ll be my first time meeting him in person!”

“Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure Jihoon’s bringing someone also…” Soonyoung trails off. “…something about a guy he met after orientation. Bonded over music or something.”

“What’s he like?” Mingyu asks.

“Don’t know. Never met the guy before, so I can’t exactly say anything about him. But from what Jihoon’s told me, he’s a pretty talkative and funny guy.”

“Do you know what he’s studying?” Wonwoo’s piqued with interest. After all, this was someone that no one in their group other than Jihoon knew about.

Soonyoung smiles devilishly. “I think he was a science nerd just like Jisoo—”

“— _ oi. _ ” Jisoo balks. 

“—but instead of studying astronomy,” Soonyoung continues nonetheless, “he’s studying something related to plants? Or something like that.”

At this, Hansol perks up. His mind recalls that one guy he met during the orientation session a couple of days ago. He deflates as he remembers the lost opportunity he had for befriending him. Hansol then remembers that it was the very men inside this car who had prevented him from further talking to the stranger, and Hansol tries not to let out an irritated sigh.

But if what Soonyoung says is correct, could Hansol actually meet him again in less than a few minutes?

In no time at all, Soonyoung pulls into the field Jisoo had given him the directions for, and it’s completely isolated and barren with nothing but grass and a few trees. As the roads become less crowded with artificial lights—meaning that the only form of illumination to light their way were the headlights on Soonyoung’s car—the world around them was gradually drenched in darkness. 

But when they finally step out of Soonyoung’s car to finally take in the night sky, everyone’s rendered breathless. They knew they were about to stargaze, but already being able to observe the stars without a telescope was already enough to stupefy them. Sprinkled across the immense breadth of the infinite sky was an uncountable myriad of stars, held in their position as if they were spotlights for the cosmic realms. When Hansol ponders on the idea for a while, he comes to the conclusion that the stars served as spotlights for the people on Earth. He finds that idea a bit sardonic considering the infallibility of humanity.

Nevertheless, upon looking at the visible stars above him, Hansol begins to fully realize the relentless void in his chest. His heart clenches with the brilliance of the stars, and he’s never felt so small as he did then. He was merely a clueless man on a planet in this immeasurable universe. Clutching the fabrics of his shirt at the middle of his chest, the stars bore their eyes into Hansol’s pained soul, and it was then when he understood how loneliness has always shrouded his life.

“Aren’t they beautiful?” Jisoo, holding out a small bag of parts, interrupts Hansol’s wanderings.

Hansol merely shrugs as he takes the bag to help him. “They’re always seen as beautiful, so…”

“There’s a bit more to their beauty, actually.” Jisoo brushes his neat bangs away from his face. “I think they also watch over us. Observing the activities of this minute world. They watch and we run, unknowing of their next move.”

“I guess you could put it like that.”

Jisoo gently beams at him before shutting the trunk and leaving the car.

Near Hansol, Mingyu spots other lights in a distance not far from where they were, which could only indicate that some of the others must’ve arrived earlier than they did. “Yo!” a small call erupts in the distance. 

“The heck are you?!” Mingyu questions with a hearty laugh, immediately running towards them.

“It’s us!!!” The owner of that voice belonged to no one other than Seokmin, especially with a voice as loud as his. Mingyu, Wonwoo, and Soonyoung run towards him and the others—“Jun! Chan! It’s nice to see you guys!”—while Jisoo and Hansol, carrying the telescope and its accompanying parts, trudge slowly behind the lively trio. On the way to the middle of the field, they encounter Seungcheol, who tells them that he would wait by the route for Jeonghan to arrive with Jihoon and his friend.

“Wow, you really can’t see anything without a flashlight here.” Hansol hears from Jun as he carefully sets some of the equipment down.

“The perks of being away from light pollution. Doesn’t it seem like a nice change?” Jisoo asks as he aptly assembles the telescope.

“We should be careful. It’s practically guaranteed for us to bump into each other—or worse, the telescope,” an unfamiliar voice mentions, and Hansol looks up to see a young boy staring at him as his smile was lit by a small light. With the boy’s crisp features, Hansol doesn’t believe that the boy before him could be a university student.

“Right!” Soonyoung gathers everyone already in the field and claps his hands onto the boy’s shoulders. “Guys, some of you know him already, but if you don’t, this is Chan! He’s studying Dance,  _ as he should rightfully be. _ ”

“It’s nice to meet all of you!” Chan nods in agreement, and the guys are hooked on his adorable nature.

“Ah, Chan’s here!” another voice enters the conversation, albeit a bit further from where everyone was. But as the footsteps increased in volume, everyone was able to see Seungcheol leading Jeonghan, Jihoon, and what appears to be Jihoon’s friend towards the rest of the group. 

“Yo, Jeonghan,” Wonwoo waves, “and everyone else who pulled up five minutes late to the party.”

“What party? This is barely anything to get by with!” Jihoon retorts, and everyone, including his friend, laughs hard. 

From then on, the rest of the boys became rowdier, and Hansol could only watch them for a bit before sitting a bit further away from the center. Sitting down on the grass, he brings his legs to his chest and hugs his knees, propping his head upon them to continue scrutinizing the stars in his own silence. In fact, Hansol was so absorbed in both his thoughts and the night sky that he failed to hear another set of footsteps approach him. It wasn’t until the other person sat down when Hansol properly registered him.

“Nice to see you not wearing those tacky red glasses,” the voice observes, and Hansol widens his eyes when he sees the man from orientation right beside him. It was a miracle. How Jihoon had met him, Hansol was curious about. But for now, he was going to properly befriend him, without letting anything stop him from now on.

“Yeah, I don’t think the stars would appreciate my taste, anyway,” Hansol muses as he turns back to the night sky. Hansol wasn’t expecting to meet him again considering the large number of people at the university. However, as the two men were brought together, with the entirety of space serving as witnesses to this momentous occasion, their time in each other’s company would serve as a catalyst that would fuel one of the greatest changes the stars have ever conjured. 

A few seconds of contemplative silence pass before the man speaks again. “My name is Seungkwan, by the way.” 

The tips of Hansol’s ears warm with satisfaction, so he dons the most shit-eating grin he could muster and replies, “Nice to meet you, ‘is Seungkwan.’ I’m Hansol.”

And if Seungkwan chases a cackling Hansol around the field after that, eventually pulling some of the others into an impromptu game of tag, then it should be known that the stars left their laughter alone.

For now.


	3. Never Getting Sick of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seungkwan falls sick, and Wonwoo visits his grandmother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fact: This fic takes place in a fictional country called Harport.

As the weeks passed, the boys worked hard in their respective fields and disciplines, giving them little to no time for rest. Some of them were still able to meet each other often due to certain extracurricular activities they shared—making it easy for Jihoon and Seungkwan to meet each other every week for orchestra practice, for instance—but there were those who barely encountered each other due to the difference in their choices of study.

Hansol and Seungkwan served as a prime example of this.

Given that their courses were on two completely different ends of the spectrum, with Hansol’s study more humanities-centric and Seungkwan’s being hearty with the sciences, they were given limited opportunities for even a single encounter. And the free time they had was either dedicated to working on rigorous group projects or hanging out with friends that were more available at the time.

Come October, Paion’s Student League (of which Jun and Jeonghan were devotedly a part) had organized a bar takeover throughout the entire city so that all of Paion’s freshmen could congregate in the name of solidarity. As the country of Harport had its minimum drinking age at 18, Paion University always held a freshman event that had alcohol in one shape or form to help the students unwind before they get into the harsher parts of their university career. 

Similar to the orientation week at the beginning of the school year, this occasion allowed students from multiple departments to mingle with each other. Seungkwan had been elated to acquaint himself with more new people as his eyes tired from the commonplace sight of his usual classmates. (Especially with that one group project that had resulted in disaster; Seungkwan may have developed a wariness towards his classmates after that.)

But alas, the never-ending conflict between humanity and the higher beings of the world ensued. That was a principle that Seungkwan definitely thought of more often than not in his bedridden state on Saturday morning.

Seungkwan normally maintains a healthy routine for himself. He exercises for at least thirty minutes every day, eats a well-balanced diet, and always keeps himself clean, especially after hours of hands-on plant cultivation. However, Seungkwan unfortunately found himself with a runny nose and a sore throat at four a.m. Needless to say, he was unable to participate in his plans for today, which inherently included the bar takeover.

Later, when Seungkwan calls him to tell him about his cold, Jeonghan half-deafens him with an ear-piercing shout of “ _ EH?!” _ , and Seungkwan’s tempted to hang up. “You’re kidding me! I practically planned this for  _ you! _ ”

Seungkwan heavily blows into his billionth tissue. “Well, too bad. I’ll probably spend the entire day binge-watching some old Ghibli movies or something. I feel way too weak to even do anything for myself.”

“Hey! That doesn’t mean you can skip meals! Go shower! Eat! Drink water so that you don’t die of dehydration!”

“ _ Okay, mom~”  _ Seungkwan heavily sighs into his cell phone before hanging up. He tries not to think too much about the pounding ache in his head. 

After thirty minutes of remaining stationary on his bed, the idea of watching movies evaporates from Seungkwan’s head when fatigue sinks into his being like an aching back succumbing to the delights of a memory foam mattress. Overwhelmed by exhaustion and his increasing body temperature, sleep droops his eyes and steadies his breathing, and he inhales—

“Seungkwan?” In rapid succession, three knocks arrive upon Seungkwan’s door. The voice is familiar, but Seungkwan’s frazzled state of mind prevents him from recognizing it. “I heard you got sick. You alright in there?”

He sniffles before responding. It’s around one p.m., and he’s unaware of anyone else knowing about his cold other than Jeonghan. “Sorry, but who is it?”

A mockingly astounded gasp echoes from the other side of the door. “It’s Hansol!”

Seungkwan’s eyes widen in surprise as he musters enough energy to amble towards his doorknob. Eventually wrenching the door open, he sets the door ajar to remark upon the sight of one Hansol, the same Hansol whose messy light-brown hair complemented the playful grin he sometimes has on his face. “I can’t believe you couldn’t recognize my voice!” Hansol gapes.

“Well, I’m not exactly packed with working brain cells at the moment.” Seungkwan quips, and it finally occurs to Seungkwan how clogged his voice must sound. “I’m guessing Jeonghan told you I was sick?”

“Yep. He was whining in a group chat I share with him and Seungcheol.” He proudly holds up a white plastic bag. “I brought some stuff that might help you. Can I come in?”

Seungkwan wordlessly backs away from the door as he opts for the comfort of his own bed once again. When Hansol enters, he shuts the door behind him, and another wave of nausea engulfs his senses. “What’s in the bag, anyway?”

“Nothing much. Just some medicine, a thermos of peppermint tea, a couple of water bottles, and some chicken noodle soup,” Hansol lists, and the consideration that Seungkwan realizes behind Hansol’s gifts warms his heart.

“You didn’t have to go that far…”

“Trust me,” Hansol sits on the floor beside the bed to unload his things, “I wanted to help you. Actually, I was really looking forward to seeing you again tonight since we haven’t hung out in  _ ages. _ " If Seungkwan hadn't been so sick, he probably could've caught the tips of Hansol's ears tinged with a bashful red. " But then you had to get yourself sick. Honestly.”

“It’s not my fault I got sick!” Seungkwan protests, but he whips his head up a second too quickly, and his vision spots with dizziness.

“Calm down. It’d be a shame if you puked right now. Now lean back,” Hansol orders, putting his hands on Seungkwan’s shoulders to guide his back to the mattress, “and let me take care of you. You probably haven’t eaten properly today.”

A concern suddenly blares inside Seungkwan’s head. “Shouldn’t you stay away from me instead? I could infect you—”

Hansol silences him with a smile. “That’s fine. You’ll just have to take care of me when the time comes.” And with that, Seungkwan promptly shuts up and allows himself to relax in the presence of today’s ‘Nurse Hansol.’

For the first few minutes, Hansol fulfills Seungkwan’s requests and spoons him the chicken noodle soup. As Seungkwan mindlessly goes through the routine of eating, he mulls over the gratefulness that’s inevitably filling up his heart because of Hansol’s actions. He wonders whether Hansol takes pleasure in seeing how abnormally subdued he is today. Still, Seungkwan can’t bring himself to think about Hansol’s opinion of him. To him, Hansol genuinely seems like a kind-hearted person who merely wants to help him get better. Seungkwan smiles from the very thought of it.

An hour into Hansol’s visit—Seungkwan’s never been more at ease. With the help of some extra pillows, Hansol’s managed to prop up Seungkwan’s laptop for a calm showing of a random movie Hansol’s chosen off of Netflix. As of that moment, Hansol’s sitting on the floor beside Seungkwan, who’s on the bed, and Seungkwan marvels at how Hansol has yet to complain about his discomfort.

“Will you go to tonight’s thing?” Seungkwan tentatively asks him.

“What, the bar takeover?” Hansol clarifies. “I don’t think so. I’d rather just stay here with you.” 

Before Seungkwan could respond with anything else, the movie flares up with a significant moment of plot development, and Seungkwan sees how transfixed Hansol becomes. He did put this movie on for a reason. On the screen, the protagonist holds his hand up to a glass wall that separates him and a young girl. He’s distraught— _who wouldn’t be after being put on death row?_ —and the young girl mirrors his angst. 

“This is my favorite part. To think that the father and daughter would finally recognize each other  _ only _ after the father’s sentenced to death…this scene always gives me the chills!” Hansol beams.

“How could they remember something that happened such a long time ago?” Seungkwan questions as he gestures towards the unfortunate man. “They’ve led different lives from now and then!”

The one-second pause in the air held its girth until Hansol states, “This movie always made me wonder about a lot of things.” He turns to look at Seungkwan. “Don’t you think it’s possible? That the people we meet now could have been people who were so important to us in the past?”

Seungkwan knows how loaded the question is. He knows that what Hansol talks about isn’t a topic new friends immediately delve into. It seems too philosophical, too open; words that bare souls to unadulterated honesty are not to be reckoned with.

But Seungkwan finds himself admiring Hansol. Seungkwan has always believed in the conviction that everything on Earth had a predestined fate. Each element, person, and even drop of water were to be used for some born purpose that no one ever understood. As Hansol sat by him and explained his perspective, Seungkwan liked how tenacious the younger was in questioning orders of the past, and he thinks that Hansol deserves a bit of his honesty.

“Well, everyone exists for a reason.” Seungkwan begins, but as he thrummed the strings of their closeness, he was prudent to not overstep the boundaries they had for now. “But who knows? I bet I used to be a king in the past, and you were my lowly servant!”

Hansol guffaws. “Why am  _ I  _ the servant?! I probably would be a better king than you!”

“You’ve taken care of me so much today! Doesn’t it feel natural to you? Go fetch me another cup of water.”

“If I'd been your servant, I probably would have overthrown you.”

“YAH!” Seungkwan heartily bellows, and it takes a few seconds for both of them to crumple into nothing, with the delightful pain in their cheeks from laughing too much serving as their only connection to reality.

With the movie decidedly ignored and the minutes turning into hours, the two men spend the rest of their Saturday conversing about everything and nothing. Yes, they take time to fully comprehend each other on a superficial level—knowing things such as Seungkwan’s odd collection of quilts back home, or Hansol’s penchant for hiking—but they also drift in and out of thought-provoking conversations similar to the one they had during the movie. With every word they exchange, they broach deeper into more intimate territories, but never deep enough to affect anything they’ve established so far.

By the end of the night, oxygen circulates better throughout Seungkwan’s body, and he’s tempted to think he’s getting better because of Hansol.

However, the wishful thinking teases a look at something that Seungkwan doesn’t dare to decipher yet, so he ultimately keeps his thoughts to himself.

* * *

Wonwoo never liked visiting his grandmother by himself.

In the past, when the unavoidable trips were made to the whimsical abode, Wonwoo would always have his parents and little brother in tow, and he would never be the center of attention during their conversations. Mama Jeon just had a knack for talking. With every visit made, Wonwoo would sit on the worn-down recliner as he listened to the wild stories she always told to the family. 

Daisy’s daughter became pregnant from an affair. Someone once spread rumors that the butcher served dog meat. Mark’s son got into another fight at school. Wonwoo always questioned what Mama Jeon always did around the neighborhood. She was rather a well-liked person, being able to get along with anyone in a heartbeat. However, to Wonwoo, Mama Jeon’s mannerisms were always hard to comprehend and keep up with, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that Wonwoo would sometimes be afraid of her.

For instance, the house was filled to the brim with random trinkets that Mama Jeon liked to collect. Whether it be maps fallen out of crumbling atlases or fake souvenir rings from her trips abroad, her living room resembled a work of explosive decalcomania that Wonwoo would probably never be able to fully explore. A myriad of portraits of unknown people splattered against the peeling wallpaper, and a dusty upright harpsichord stayed untouched in the corner. Mama Jeon’s house was history, in more ways than one.

Then there was the study.

“Mama Jeon,” Bohyuk had once asked her, “why can’t we go into that room?”

“Oh, my little jellyfish,” Mama Jeon had tenderly caressed her youngest grandson’s face, “if that door is ever opened, a great big monster will come to haunt you!”

Wonwoo has always thought she was lying back then, but then again, he was never one to take things seriously enough until it was too late.

“It makes me so happy to see your face, dearest Wonwoo.” Mama Jeon nods at him from her position on the large recliner. Wonwoo tries not to grimace when he recalls how his family lost all motivation to visit the Jeon matriarch. He doesn’t know what triggered the change. What Wonwoo did understand was that he didn’t want to leave his surviving grandmother alone in her final years, no matter how afraid he was of her. She didn’t deserve that. “Have you been well? How much trouble have you gotten into with those boys of yours?”

Wonwoo’s starting to become wrecked from the increasing volume of his heart pounding against his chest. “I’m doing well, Mama Jeon.” He exhales before resuming his answer. “We’ve been okay, and university work isn’t really hard for me. It’s a lot of work, but it’s fun.”

“Ay~ That ain’t a surprise considering your talent with making those videos!” Wonwoo blushes from the praise. 

“How have you been?” Wonwoo reciprocates her earlier question.

“I’ve also had my own fair share of things to do. But it’s getting more boring every day.”

He frowns. “It’s sad that you can’t go back out into the field again. I know how much you loved going on those digs.”

“Yes.” She smiles wistfully and stares into her cup of tea. “But I know there are stronger, healthier archaeologists out there taking care of the business I used to handle. How  _ is _ Seokmin, by the way?”

“He’s doing well. I think--was it at the end of this year?--he’s heading to Italy for a placement.”

“That’s good of him.”

Although Wonwoo was well aware of Mama Jeon’s previous job as a passionate archaeologist, she’s never dared to spill the details of what she actually researched. Her secrecy regarding her job has always mystified Wonwoo, but he doesn’t aim on discovering more, anyway. 

Suddenly, a mouth-watering scent permeates the room, and Mama Jeon slowly stands up. “Lunch is ready. I’ll be right back.”

Wonwoo jumps up to assist her. “Let me help yo—”

“Young man, if you make one step further to help me carry something I’m perfectly capable of carrying myself, I’ll starve you for the rest of your time here. And I know you haven’t eaten lunch yet.”

It was an understatement to say that Wonwoo immediately clams up after that.

“MaJeon,” Wonwoo begins, using a nickname he devised two years ago for his beloved grandmother, “I’m gonna use the bathroom before eating. I’ll be back.”

“Hopefully it ain’t diarrhea!” she hollers from the kitchen, and Wonwoo breathes out a huff of fatigue that mainly came from his head.

On his way to the bathroom--doing his best to ignore the ‘ornate’ decor--Wonwoo freezes when he sees something small scurry past his feet. The small and animated  _ thing _ zooms past his field of vision like a pinprick of light, and Wonwoo wants to know what it actually is. He steps uncertainly towards its direction, leading him down a narrow hallway that led to Mama Jeon’s bedroom...and the forbidden study right across the hall.

Of course, that just so happens to be the room the thing goes into.

Wonwoo is surprised to see the study’s door a bit open, allowing even the thinnest sliver of light to illuminate its interior. He covertly scans his surroundings to make sure Mama Jeon wasn’t in his vicinity before he enters the study for the very first time. Wonwoo’s not sure what to expect.

The first thing his eyes beheld was the long redwood oak table set at the center of the room. Upon it laid a number of large scrolls, some unfurled and some intact, inscribed with letters of an unknown script. Complementing the scrolls included multiple stacks of different books, their titles ranging from  _ The History of East Asia _ to  _ Mysterious Civilizations of the Past. _ What intrigued Wonwoo the most was that the study seemed to be in meticulous hands: not a single spot of the room was cursed with dust, and the dark polished floors shone enough to reflect the sunlight streaming in from the stained glass windows on the eastmost wall.

It wasn’t long until Wonwoo’s eyes caught the quick thing once more. A mewl chimed delicately in the air--the thing turns out to be a soft white kitten, which is now staring up at Wonwoo out of curiosity. Wonwoo smiles upon noticing the petite being; it couldn’t have been larger than his hand. Although he reaches down to pick it up, the kitten quickly flees from him and makes its way to a large metal shelf, and Wonwoo absentmindedly chases after it. 

As the kitten hops onto the lowest level of the multi-tier shelf, Wonwoo stops and leans down to pick it up again, but his head accidentally hits one of the shelves. As a result, one of the many sealed vials resting on the shelf tumbles down--however, since Wonwoo’s reflexes have always been quick, he catches it just before it hits the ground. 

“Wonwoo? Where did you run off to?” Mama Jeon probably shouts from the dining room. 

“Coming!” Wonwoo responds, and in his rush to lunch, he picks up the kitten in one hand and pockets the vial he’d caught. Across the dining table, Mama Jeon introduces Wonwoo to Karin, a stray kitten she took in a couple of weeks ago, and they exchange a bout of comedic banter over a well-executed roast beef prepared an hour in advance. Throughout the lunch, Wonwoo can feel the vial he’d stored in his pants pocket, and his mind nags at him to return it as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, Wonwoo never gets the opportunity, and he wouldn’t understand the gravity of his actions until much later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love me some good plot skskks
> 
> Subscribe for next week's chapter!


	4. Famous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hansol is saved, and Seokmin's losing sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really excited for this plot :)

Hansol and Seungkwan understandably got closer after that Saturday.

Not long after that, Seungkwan’s health improved drastically, and he was able to continue classes normally by Tuesday. The weekend saw Hansol, bearing gifts of fulfilling food, visiting Seungkwan to aid him in improving his health. Although Hansol didn’t stay as long on Sunday as he did the day before, Seungkwan always welcomed him and enjoyed the company he provided.

Maybe there was a bit more Seungkwan had enjoyed from Hansol. Maybe his warming cheeks from the times Hansol would lean in close to place a damp, cool cloth on his forehead had been a telltale sign of something he shouldn’t have overlooked. But Seungkwan wouldn’t think about that for now.

For now, he focuses on the present, and how he’s been hanging out more frequently with Hansol during their brief periods of free time.

Surprisingly, they haven’t been hanging out alone. The many occasions where they’re in each other’s company for the sake of fraternity tended to include a mixture of the different people they had in their giant friend group. They’ve been with each other at the local ice cream parlor when Jun and Jihoon needed some company. They’ve been with each other at the library when Jeonghan and Seungcheol needed their help searching for hefty books for their senior theses. They’ve been with each other at the cafeteria when Soonyoung, Chan, and Wonwoo somehow united them for a friendly lunch on a Wednesday afternoon.

Seungkwan doesn’t know what caused his mind to drift towards Hansol.

He thinks the culprit can be found in their time alone that Saturday afternoon and evening. Or maybe it could be found in those fleeting moments they kept glancing at each other during Jisoo’s star-gazing session many weeks ago. Either way, Seungkwan knows something in him has shifted its course towards Hansol, and he doesn’t know how to stop his interest from hurtling towards him. He doesn’t let it bother him at first, merely welcoming it as yet another feeling to explore...eventually.

However, the opportunity arrives faster than expected, and Seungkwan’s head is thrown into turmoil.

To many people at Paion University, Hansol Vernon Chwe is considered as one of the finest specimens to have ever graced the ancient campus. With a well-sculpted face set by high cheekbones and the kindest smile to ever be blessed upon a man, he has been the object of affection for many women all over the university. With regards to the men, they’re torn between admitting his handsomeness and feeling hot jealousy as Hansol has stolen the hearts of women _they’re_ interested in.

Hansol doesn’t notice the full extent of what his appearance has done for him until he’s caught the attention of one Yoo Jeongyeon.

Yoo Jeongyeon, as defined by the Paion University Dictionary of Popular People, is a Fashion Technology student who’s also in her first year. Jeongyeon, establishing her status as a popular ‘It Girl’ in many of the university’s departments, has just as great of an impact on others as Hansol does. Her unique sense of fashion, paired nicely with her stunning appearance, constantly takes people aback. So it seemed logical to many people at Paion to think that she and Hansol could be a power(ful) couple.

And Jeongyeon _definitely_ seemed to not mind that idea at all.

A couple of months into the school year, in November where autumn has been losing its grip on the northern hemisphere, Hansol finds himself surrounded by more people. The most likely explanation for that presented itself in the uncomfortably warm grip around his left forearm. Every time he was switching classes, somehow, Jeongyeon would instantly take his side, and it would appear to many people that Hansol was showing off Jeongyeon like a trophy wife. 

The first couple of times it happened, he tried to politely decline her... _advances_ by gently taking her hand and moving it off of his forearm; however, his attempts were futile as her persistence flamed with determination, and he’s tried to find alternative routes to get to his lectures. By now, Hansol feels that Jeongyeon is merely an inescapable force of nature, and he’s given up.

It’s been a bit over two weeks since this has started.

On this particular day, as Jeongyeon latched onto his arm again, Hansol tiredly lumbers his way through the usual gathering crowd of spectators. He had to stay up last night to finish an essay and go over his notes before an important presentation today, so to say he was irritated was an understatement. He wanted nothing more than to wrench his arm away from Jeongyeon’s persevering grip, or to scream at her for being such a despicable nuisance in his life, but he never had the heart to ever do such a thing.

“Hansol~” Jeongyeon sickeningly coos from his side. “Don’t you think this shade of red looks good on me? I had it imported directly from Paris.” From his periphery, he could see Jeongyeon inching closer to his face as she puckered her lips to show off her fancy lipstick, but she was actually going to kiss his cheek. He didn’t know what to do. Honestly, he felt that no matter what he did, it was bound to become the talk of Paion. Well, he probably shouldn’t mind Jeongyeon _too much_ , seeing as it was merely a cheek kiss--

“I'm _ruined!"_ a cry erupts from the right, and a great force of muscle and academic angst yanks Jeongyeon away from Hansol’s arm. Replacing her was a more familiar warmth he had started to become more accustomed to. “Hansol, I’m so glad you’re here. I think I might actually die. My parents are definitely going to kill me if they find out about this grade! Oh, what should I _do_ \--”

Hansol blinks down at a dejected Seungkwan, whose face was contorted enough to parallel the emotions of a sobbing toddler. “I’m sure the grade isn’t even that bad, Seungkwan.”

“You have no idea! You probably don’t have any D’s in any of your classes!”

Seungkwan sobs a bit more against Hansol’s figure, and Hansol looks up to see that the initial crowd has dispersed. That also meant Jeongyeon has disappeared, so Hansol takes a few deep breaths before turning his attention again to his friend wallowing in misfortune. “How hard was the assignment, anywa--”

“Oh, good!” Seungkwan straightens up, and his face morphs into an expression of satisfaction. “Who knew my presence could actually act as a human repellent? Wow.”

Hansol blinks once, twice. 

He has no idea what is happening.

“Seungkwan,” he carefully chooses his words, “I only have one--just one, not two, nothing too complicated--question to ask you.” He wraps his arm around the length of Seungkwan’s shoulders and tries to placate himself. “What just happened?”

Seungkwan chuckles. “What _happened_ was me saving your butt, Hansol! Seriously. You should’ve seen your face when you were with Jeongyeon earlier--you looked _so_ dead and _so_ done with her!”

“How could I not be?” Hansol moans in agony. “I’ve had such a hellish week, and her presence wasn’t making things better. But yeah. Thanks for helping me out.”

“Hey, what are friends for?” Seungkwan smiles at him, but his words strike Hansol with an unexplainable feeling that rumbles ominously in his chest. But Hansol doesn’t pursue its meaning. Instead, he believes that he’ll get an explanation behind that later, and sets his attention on Seungkwan’s latest anecdote. 

Seungkwan’s voice has always soothed him, and he’ll never pass up an opportunity to listen to it.

For Hansol and Seungkwan, something has been brewing in their heads, and they’ve anguished over thinking about it or disregarding it completely.

* * *

Actually, Seokmin has been in a similar position. But instead of feeling roses preparing to bloom, he feels roses being withered.

His menace has proven itself to be more concrete compared to the abstract sentiments waging war in Hansol’s and Seungkwan’s heads. For the past couple of weeks, Seokmin has been haunted by his own mind. It wasn’t until recently when he’s started losing sleep over this strange phenomenon, but it has jarred him mercilessly. Vivid dreams have been plaguing his mind with visions of different things--a forest, a red cup, silhouettes dancing in the dark of night--and once in a while, he wakes up to a rapid heartbeat and beads of sweat sprinkled around his head.

One could see his perturbed state in the way he carried himself now. He was normally a bright man, strolling through the campus with his head held high and his gait brisk. It’s not uncommon for passers-by to be welcomed by his uplifting greetings; even a mere “Hello!” at three p.m. would suffice for maintaining a positive mood for the rest of the day. However, as the dreams became longer and maybe even more incomprehensible, Seokmin’s been subdued into silence, a slave to the unknown imaginings of his brain.

Moreover, the latest dream he’s been tormented with included a face from his friend group, and it’s safe to say that he’s definitely frightened.

He’s been wanting to do something about this either through consulting with a therapist or seeking out help from a sleep clinic, but one day, his body is feeble enough to take a two-hour nap in the library. What was once a hopeful attempt at studying turned into a session where he could finally get some rest.

When he wakes up, he panics over potentially losing any of his stuff, but luckily, his things have remained unchanged. The only difference in his environment between now and two hours earlier is the sticky note he finds on top of his _Understanding Death in Ancient Civilizations_ textbook. The paper holds the university’s blue and white logo on it, indicating a practical use of Paion’s stationery:

_Dear Lee Seokmin,_

_Some of your teachers have been concerned with your health and have notified us of it._

_We would like to suggest to you a service with a free trial. By consulting this service, you can figure out strategies on how to tackle major problems you may have so that you can improve your mind, body, and soul._

_We hope you get better!_

_XX-XXXX-XXXX_

_Paion’s Student League_

Seokmin grimaces. He doesn’t like to worry others, and if he’s been worrying his teachers-- _Oh, Professor Lars!--_ then he has no choice but to start tackling his problems as soon as possible. Desperate, he pulls out his phone and taps in the number. PSL didn’t really explain what _services_ he was offered, but at this point, Seokmin’s putting a lot of blind faith in his only source of help, so there’s really no need for details.

“Hello?” Seokmin throws in the first word.

“Is this Seokmin?” the other end responds, and Seokmin is startled.

“I’m guessing you were expecting my call.”

“More or less.” the voice states straightforwardly. Seokmin wonders how young the other person must be if his voice was _that_ clear-cut. “Well, my name is Efa, and I’m here to help. What _has_ been troubling you, anyway?”

Seokmin scratches the back of his head. “I don’t know whether you’ll believe me. It sounds really weird, and maybe a bit crazy, but it’s been bothering me for so long.”

“I’m here to listen. But if you’re having trouble trying to explain what’s been happening to you, try to start from the beginning. When did your problems start?”

Seokmin prides himself on actually knowing the answer to this question. His conviction burns with reality. He knows it must’ve started the night he went out to see the stars in February. 

While many others (including Hansol and Seungkwan) had their own fun chasing each other under the stars, Seokmin and a couple of others spent some time with Jisoo’s telescope. Even though the sky had already been magnificent enough with the lack of light pollution, being able to see its true beauty from miles away was even more enthralling. From double stars to galaxies, Seokmin awed with Jisoo, Jeonghan, and Jihoon as they took turns using Jisoo’s well-used $450.

When it was Seokmin’s turn to use the telescope, he’d spotted something that the others before him had not spotted before. As if he could grace it with his fingertips, Seokmin held his breath as he took in the sight of a dazzling blue and purple comet, its tail quite visible with the aperture Jisoo’s set. Back then, he had marveled at how clear it had been with the telescope, and the light emanating off the comet was enough to enchant Seokmin’s left eye.

That night, Seokmin had slept uncomfortably as the first dream struck him.

“And you’re sure it’s started from there?” Efa asks for clarity.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Seokmin insists.

“So the comet is responsible for giving you these dreams.”

“Yes.”

A minute chuckle can be heard over the phone, and Seokmin wants to hang up, but then Efa mutters, “Well, then. It’s finally time. Took me 15 years, but it’s finally here. I’m glad.”

“What do you mean?” Seokmin’s train of thought is becoming more puzzling with every word Efa breathes out.

“Seokmin,” Efa begins, “how soon can we meet? I think we need to discuss this in person.”

It isn’t until five days later when Seokmin meets Efa for the first time. Between their first phone call and now, Seokmin had to continue withstanding his nightmares. However, the dreams have been repeating their content for a while, and that also gives him more reason to ask Efa for help in person.

By the time his taxi reaches the address he’s been texted, Seokmin’s mouth is agape. Meters away stood a towering manor set by perfectly chiseled limestone, and the building served as the centerpiece to a limitless space of grass and forest. The windows gleamed with recently-polished glass as they reflected the symmetrical topiaries in the front lawn. The estate reflected careful perfection, and Seokmin didn't know what to feel.

Seokmin has never been a fan of pretentious figures. 

As someone from a middle-class background, he understands well the importance of hard work and perseverance. And as he bears witness to what is considered to be Efa’s residence, he can’t help but scoff as he imagines how this gargantuan house probably housed only a few family members. 

His phone rings in his pocket, so he promptly answers it, knowing it was Efa calling him. “Are you at my front door?” Efa asks.

“Can’t you just look down on me from one of these windows?” Seokmin unintentionally retorts.

Instead of responding to Seokmin, Efa hangs up and apparently opens the door remotely as the door, grand with its design of intricately-wrought iron, lifts to allow Seokmin inside. Inside the foyer--Seokmin couldn’t believe a room like THAT was a foyer--Jun stood there. “Wait, this is actually _your_ house?” Seokmin was taken aback.

Jun chuckles. “Nah. This belongs to a good friend of mine.”

“Efa?”

“You’ll get to know him better. Follow me.”

Deciding not to marvel at the rest of the lavish manor (he didn’t need to know that the floors shone brighter than his future), Seokmin complies and diligently follows Jun up a wide, carpeted staircase to a room located at the back of the building. Sweat beaded his palms as they were inching closer to Efa. He had no reason to be nervous. He was just seeking an answer to a persistent problem. But he couldn’t shake off his largest doubt--what if the dreams he had been having were a part of something larger? 

What if they meant he was going to face something bad soon?

What if they meant someone _else_ was going to face something bad soon?

**_What if they meant he was going to fail his exams--?_ **

“Seokmin. You okay?”

A blink back to reality made Seokmin realize they’d been standing in front of Efa’s room for a good two minutes (or more). 

After a quick, deep breath, Seokmin steels himself. He shouldn’t get this worked up without knowing anything yet. “I’m okay. It’s just been...hard.”

“I get that.” Jun claps him twice on his right shoulder as a form of encouragement, and Seokmin turns the door handle to enter the room.

Efa, seated at a windowsill, captivated Seokmin in an instant.

The black fringe decorating the frame of Efa’s slender face fell with an attractiveness only certain people could pull off. Beneath black bangs presented a narrow structure which defined a sharp jawline set with delicate lips. Enchanted by his beauty, Seokmin fully understood Efa by appearance as he remarked the amount of angles present on the latter’s face.

Hoping to find warmth, Seokmin sought Efa’s eyes, but they were completely blocked by a pair of black sunglasses. Efa turns toward the door and tilts his head questioningly. “What are you two standing over there for? Please come in.”

“Of course,” Jun pipes up from behind Seokmin, “if only the person in front of me could actually move for once, that is.”

Seokmin rolls his eyes at Jun before advancing further into the room and eventually settles in front of Efa. “Seokmin,” Efa starts, “I’m glad we can finally meet. As you probably know already, I’m Efa.”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Seokmin scratches the back of his head. “But I’m here for a reason. You said you knew why that comet’s been responsible for my dreams recently. Why couldn’t you just tell me that over the phone?” 

“I think what I’m about to tell you is definitely better said in person.”

“Then get on with it! It’s already weird coming all the way here, and it’ll be worse to know if I’m just wasting my time.”

Efa visibly frowns at Seokmin’s rudeness, but disregards it to prioritize greater matters. “Before meeting me, what have you dreamed of so far?”

“A bunch of random things. It used to be just simple things that didn’t really bother me--a forest, people dancing, things like that, like _normal_ things. But lately it’s been different. Lately, I keep seeing one of my friends in these dreams, and he’s been in it for a couple of days now.”

“And who is this?”

“A freshman. His name’s Seungkwan.”

“And what is he doing in these dreams?”

Seokmin looks away and huffs tiredly, aptly recalling his visions. “Every time I see him, he’s always happy. Laughing and all to the point where his cheeks are red. However, right before the dream ends, I see one of his hands, and it’s holding someone else’s hand. I don’t know whose hand it is, but as soon as I see it, I wake up.”

Efa takes a few moments of silence to process what Seokmin just said. In the meantime, Seokmin side-eyes Jun. “I just realized. This is kind of a private thing, so why are you here?” he asks the standing man.

Jun shoots him a tired look as he nods towards Efa. "I'm like an assistant. He told me to give you his number."

Before Seokmin could question Jun, Efa stirs. “The things you’ve seen in your dreams are things you haven’t seen in real life yet, right?”

Seokmin shakes his head. “Of course not. I’m not sure about the forests, but I haven’t seen Seungkwan in a while. And I certainly haven’t seen him holding hands with anyone.”

The next question takes him aback. “Seokmin, do you believe in reincarnation?”

Seokmin’s eyebrows arch in confusion. “What does reincarnation have anything to do with this?”

“The thing is, reincarnation is a very real thing. Not everyone undergoes it, but there are certain people in the world who are lucky to get a second chance at life. And this entire phenomenon is thanks to the stars. They’re the ones who control all of this." Efa speaks with a pride that's well-reflected in his tone. "Long ago, there used to be a beautiful village called the Village of Rose Petals. Their beliefs revolved around love, the stars and their almighty powers. But that's not important. What we need to focus on are two of the village's inhabitants--two people named Hyeongi and Jaesang.

"Hyeongi and Jaesang, having known each other their whole lives, realized their romantic feelings for each other one day and became the strongest couple in the village. They were worthy of the stars' praise, and their love was even blessed to eternity by the stars during a special spring festival. However, during the festival, an evil force threatened their love and unfortunately took Jaesang's life. This angered the stars, and they wrecked havoc on the village until there was no trace of them left.

"But as I said earlier, their love was blessed to eternity. And that means their love could have been carried over to their second lives, in reincarnated forms."

Somehow, despite his frustration from being unable to understand his dreams, Seokmin finds himself compelled to play along with Efa's tale. "So what? Does that mean Seungkwan could potentially be either Hyeongi or Jaesang?" he asks blandly, unable to see the point behind Efa's words.

Efa hums. "I'm certain that Seungkwan is the reincarnated form of Hyeongi, and in your dreams, he's holding the hand of Jaesang's reincarnated form."

Being reminded of his dreams, Seokmin crosses his arms to show his bitterness towards Efa. "But that doesn't explain why I've been losing sleep over these dreams. For example, why are they happening so often? And why do I have to care about their meaning?"

"What you're experiencing are not dreams at all. After you saw that comet, the stars blessed you with the gift of future visions. Clairvoyance. They've blessed you with it because something will happen between Hyeongi's and Jaesang's reincarnated forms in this life, and they need your help."

"And why should I believe you, huh?" Seokmin's livid irritation thrums throughout his body. "How do I know what you're saying isn't fake?"

"Because I'm the reincarnation of the village's oracle. I can understand what the stars tell me and what they are doing, although I may not know the reason behind their actions."

A fuse ignited inside Seokmin's head. "Unbelievable." Seokmin growls, and he twists around, marching towards the door and distancing himself further and further from the craziest stream of nonsense he's ever heard. With his increasing fatigue gnawing at his senses and his exasperation with the over-the-top excuses Efa's given him, Seokmin decides to call up his nearest psychiatrist to get a prescription of sleeping pills so that he could finally catch up on some rest. Seeing Seungkwan's face was just coincidental at best. He won't see his face anymore once he gets proper sleep. He'll be back to normal.

Suddenly, only his left eye--the eye he saw the comet with--clouds with furious tears, and Seokmin desperately wipes them away.

Everything was going to be fine.

"Minghao," Jun rests a hand on his friend's arm as he sat across from him, "do you think it's a good idea to just leave him like that?"

Efa--no, Minghao smugly grins in the direction of his best friend. "I have nothing to worry about.

The stars tell me that he'll come around very soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just saying, Minghao in Call Call Call! era...
> 
> ...damn.
> 
> Next chapter next week~


	5. This Neck of the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wonwoo throws a party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter has some...things going on.

Minghao’s definition of “soon” came quicker than expected.

What triggered the following events came in the form of an email in Wonwoo's inbox. That day, Wonwoo had just finished a grueling day where one of his works had been heavily criticized by his least favorite professor, and that had left him in a frustratingly melancholic mood for the rest of his day. In addition to that, one of his classmates had missed an important lecture that would cover some important techniques for the upcoming group project, and although he wanted to review his notes, Wonwoo, being the samaritan he was, willingly gave the notes for his classmate to copy. He believed there was no way the day could get worse.

And for once, it didn't. While he was working on an essay for one of his classes with Hansol and Mingyu, he was able to read the email, and he was inspired to gather everyone at the cafeteria to announce happy news in the form of-

“A party at your house this Saturday?” Seungcheol says. Normally, parties at the universities took place either in the Grand Building or in a certain department, but Wonwoo’s house was very close to the campus. “I’m always in for a party, but what’s the special occasion?”

Wonwoo crosses his arms, prideful of himself, before responding, “The short film I submitted for the Harport Film Festival got selected.”

“THAT’S A BIG DEAL!” Seungkwan yells out of shock. “And you’re just telling us all _now_?”

“Actually, Hansol and Mingyu found out earlier. They were there when I received the email.”

Seungkwan, seemingly betrayed, whips around to face Hansol, who sat not far from him. “Hansol! I thought we were friends!”

Hansol merely shrugs. “So I _may_ have forgotten…” 

“It’s fine, guys,” Soonyoung claps Seungkwan on the shoulder, “we can all just go party this weekend and just have fun!”

“What’s the point of even going if I still can’t get wasted?” Chan whines.

“Goodness, Chan. We’re all gonna be there! Don’t you wanna have fun with us?” Mingyu playfully shakes Chan’s shoulders.

Jihoon guffaws. “You’re one to talk! You’re normally the first to get wasted.”

“You’re probably gonna abandon Chan as soon as you see alcohol.” Jeonghan chimes in, and Mingyu gapes when he replies with a defiant “No, I won’t!”

“Chan, you can join Joshua, Soonyoung and I. We don’t really drink.” Jun comforts Chan from beside him.

“Yeah!” Joshua wholeheartedly agrees.” I think you’ll like being with us. Plus, you can see all the drinking games Mingyu likes to play.”

“Which reminds me.” Wonwoo interrupts. “Mingyu, I’m not letting you touch too much alcohol after what happened at the last party.”

“What happened?” Seungkwan pops the unfortunate question.

“He ended up puking in the swimming pool.” Seokmin deadpans.

“It was _one_ time, okay!” Mingyu complains from his friends’ relentless attacks on him, and everyone laughs.

With the promise of a party lingering in the atmosphere, everyone’s excited, especially Chan. Since the diversity of his friends’ majors prevented him from seeing everyone often, Chan was looking forward to reconnecting with them at Wonwoo’s this weekend. 

Hansol sidles up to Chan when he spots him lost in thought. “Have you ever been to a party before?”

Chan shakes his head. “Not a proper one.”

“I think it’ll be nice to get the experience, you know. We’ll all be there.”

“Of course. I’m definitely coming!”

“You are? Great!” Hansol happily grins, and Chan’s heart skips a beat. “I thought you didn’t want to come earlier, but I’m really glad you’re gonna join us. We’re gonna have a great time!”

“Yeah!” Chan replies, and he smiles along with Hansol as he embraces the warmth gathering in his chest.

“Don’t worry, guys.” Wonwoo reassures them. “Saturday’s gonna be a blast!”

* * *

Jihoon never liked parties. 

They were always too loud with ear-grating music and the smell of booze permeating the air with a rancid aroma. The scent of humanity lingers in the hallways as it was high with a desire of many kinds. 

He could think of better alternatives to a party. Staying in at home with familiar things, easy access to coffee and a night dedicated to music. Sleeping. Cooking. Even watching something on Netflix would certainly be much better than having to watch university students drink themselves to death. And the pain of stumbling into a room where people were getting...busy...had always been a problem.

But he has friends, and with friends comes a great understanding of the benefits reaped from not being alone. So he tries to attend as many parties as possible with them.

However, on Saturday night, as he stands in the doorway of one of Wonwoo’s bathrooms and unfortunately witnesses a poor girl vomiting her life out, Jihoon’s determination is tested. 

“Jihoon,” Seungcheol turns around from taking care of the girl heaved against the toilet, “do you mind getting some medicine from Wonwoo’s room? I think she came here running a fever. Plus, all the stores are closed already, and I’ll be taking Hana home.”

Jihoon only nods before making his way to Wonwoo’s room down the hall. 

Swerving his way through passers-by, he finally reaches his destination and opens the door. Luckily, no one was in the room, so Jihoon was able to search for the medicine in peace. 

Wonwoo’s room was one of simplicity. With not much, his bedroom simply consisted of a nice desk, a bed with navy-blue sheets, the closet--all the necessities of a bedroom were there. However, one could spot the burst of life that could define Wonwoo in the giant bulletin board he had near his desk. Littered with film ideas and a clearly organized list of videos to watch for either classes or inspiration, Jihoon was temporarily distracted by a snippet from Wonwoo's mind. And in the corner of Jihoon's eye, he could see Wonwoo's backpack cluttered with messy papers and binders of the fruit of his efforts. It didn't feel right to intrude on his personal space.

In order to respect Wonwoo's privacy (and to also not keep Seungcheol waiting), he immediately began to comb the room for the medicine. The quicker he searched, the better.

His most successful find was discovered in the drawer of Wonwoo’s nightstand where he saw a bottle of Tylenol. Jihoon immediately grabs it, closes the drawer, and turns to head back to the bathroom, but his hand accidentally knocks something over on Wonwoo’s nightstand. Something falls to the wooden floor, and Jihoon momentarily panics.

“Oh no…” he mumbles under his breath as he takes in the damage. A glass container had fallen, and its liquid contents were all over the floor. Jihoon looks around for a tissue, but to no avail; there were no tissues inside the room. He bends down to pick it up, but he instantly recoils from the putrid smell coming from the liquid. It stuns him for a bit before he could regain his senses. 

After all, who could ever withstand the scent of dead roses?

When he comes to, he hears Seungcheol calling for him, so he rushes out of the room and doesn’t clean up his mess. He makes a note to ask Wonwoo about the things he keeps in his bedroom.

Unfortunately, he never remembers to do it, and that was a decision he would regret in the future.

* * *

Wonwoo wasn’t wrong when he said Saturday was going to be a “blast.”

Every day, Seungkwan learns something new about one of his friends in his circle. If there’s one thing he’s certain he learned today, it’s that Wonwoo’s notorious for throwing some of the wildest parties.

When Seungkwan arrives, Wonwoo’s house brims with people, lights, and booming music, three indicators that can show how good a party truly is. The aura was inviting and enticed Seungkwan into enjoying himself.

“Seungkwan!” he hears a voice coming from the entrance, and Hansol steps out to greet him. The night couldn’t possibly get any better.

“Wonwoo really goes all out, huh?” Seungkwan muses.

“That’s him, alright. Although he seems like a chill guy because he works so hard, he knows how to party.” Hansol grins as he spouts admiration for his senior. “Well, what are we doing? Let’s go inside!” He grabs Seungkwan’s hand without a heartbeat of hesitation, and Seungkwan’s cheeks begin to hurt from all the smiling he’s been doing around Hansol.

They took a mandatory pit stop to where the drinks were being served and where Joshua and Soonyoung were talking. They didn’t talk long, though; the two had been in a heated debate about what the best tactics were for winning Rock, Paper, Scissors every time. They then poured each other a beer and went towards the living room where Mingyu was already playing a game of beer pong. Wonwoo, a bit annoyed because of Mingyu, waved them over from the moment he saw them.

Hansol and Seungkwan were initially with Wonwoo, standing in the sidelines to support Mingyu’s dedication to his drinking games, but somehow, they rope themselves in into playing beer pong against _each other_ , and by the end of the game, their cheeks are flushed with the life of party alcohol and the buzz of a good time.

The drinks kept coming and coming. Seungkwan was never privy to liberating himself at a party, so Wonwoo’s was certainly no exception. He eventually was at a point where tipsy was no longer a definition nor a boundary, cackling by Hansol’s side as he entertained him with stories of university mishaps.

And Hansol, being the gracious (and less sober) friend, laughed along with him, enjoying Seungkwan’s company.

“Hey Hansol~” Seungkwan slurs beside him. “Let’s go out and get some fresh air!”

“All right!” Hansol grins, and this time Seungkwan’s the one taking his hand and leading him.

On the way out, they encounter Seokmin, who unusually stared at the two of them as if they’d grown multiple heads. “Where are you guys heading out?” he asks out of curiosity.

“Seungkwan needs some fresh air, so we’re heading outside.” Hansol coolly replies.

“Yes, we need air, AIR to breathe into our lungs and refresh our souls!” Seungkwan dramatizes, and Hansol cackles at his drunk behavior.

“Is that so…” Seokmin dazes off as his gaze kept lowering.

“You okay, Seokmin?” a concerned Hansol asks.

“I’m fine. Maybe I’ve had a bit too much to drink.” Actually, he’s only sipped twice from his first cup, but Hansol and Seungkwan would have no reason to learn that. “You guys have fun, okay?”

“Of _course_ we will~!” Seungkwan gushes. The two walked outside, never noticing the look of shock that had struck Seokmin when he realized what he had just seen.

However, Seokmin’s previously-haunting dreams finally becoming reality was certainly not a matter for Hansol and Seungkwan, who somehow have managed to stumble into the forest at the back of Wonwoo’s house.

The forest stood tall with lofty trees watching over the two in the dark of night. Lit by the light of the moon, Hansol and Seungkwan settled their stumbling into an easy promenade as they basked in each other’s presence. Seungkwan’s anecdotes colonized the still air of the forest with only Hansol’s laughter complementing it.

“And for some reason, he’d gotten all of my notes _drenched_ with the water we were planning to use on the tomatoes, like _come on_ \--ACK!”

Seungkwan trips on a small tree root and falls, only to be cushioned by a sturdy body. “Oh my gosh, Hansol!” His heart drops, but Seungkwan feels rumbling below him, and that’s when he realizes Hansol is laughing. It isn’t long until Seungkwan joins him, and they become two people out of many billion, sharing a laugh under the moon’s spotlight.

The stars glimmer with hope.

Seungkwan pushes himself up to get off, but Hansol’s arms wrap around Seungkwan’s body. Seungkwan didn’t mind. This was Hansol, someone who has been such a good friend to him for the past couple of weeks. Hansol, who took care of him when he was sick. Hansol, who’s way too handsome for human comprehension but denies the attention of an equally beautiful human being, and Seungkwan’s always been confused as to why he would do such a thing-

-but Seungkwan’s looking down at Hansol, and Hansol’s looking up at _him_ , and somehow, it feels right. It felt right to be with Hansol, with his pretty eyelashes and high cheekbones and just all-around attractiveness-

-and Seungkwan could no longer think as he felt lips cover his own.

He doesn’t know whether it was from the alcohol or not, but as soon as he felt Hansol kissing him, his nerves sparked with an enthralling energy that has never thrummed so justly in his body before. The connection they’d forged provided a power that surged in their minds, throughout every inch of their body, and Seungkwan didn’t want to think anymore. He only wanted to feel the increasing warmth of Hansol’s hands on his back and the giddiness from having his lips on his.

Hansol removes his right hand from Seungkwan's back and cups Seungkwan's cheek to deepen the kiss, and Seungkwan admits to himself that he wouldn't mind drowning. Drowning in his lips, drowning in love, drowning in Hansol, Hansol, Hansol. Behind him, Seungkwan could feel the night becoming more alive than ever as the world around them faded out of existence. And somehow, Seungkwan just knew that being with Hansol was something destined to happen from a long time ago. Whatever they had between them could develop into something far greater than what the two of them could ever imagine.

However, all of a sudden, his mind blares with the image of a hand warmed with fresh blood, and he sobers up to latch himself off of Hansol.

Fear paralyzed Seungkwan.

“Seungkwan?” Hansol’s worried from his spot on the ground, and his redder lips tempt him to forget what he just saw. He could just say he had a lapse in judgment and berate himself for stopping what felt so right.

“I…” He begs for the words to arrive, but alas. “I…” There was no way he could explain anything to Hansol. He could never understand.

“I’m sorry!” Seungkwan blurts out before Hansol could even inch a syllable in, and he takes off, back to the house.

Although he is in shock, Seungkwan wishes he couldn’t feel the tears on his face.

* * *

Chan aims to live his life as passionately as possible.

He’s been doing well in his efforts. After being academically successful in high school while gaining success as a dancer in the local dance studio, he was able to go to university a year early to materialize his dreams into a reality. It was an understatement to say he was glowing. He was beaming with possibilities and aspirations. Even though it might seem a bit optimistic for someone of this cruel world, Chan wanted to take it on, full stead.

So when he saw Hansol at Wonwoo’s party, Chan wanted to chase the rush that raced through his heart no matter what.

It’s not as if that sensation was something new. Ever since he met Hansol for the first time during the star-gazing, he’s definitely understood something. He knows there’s something tying the two of them; the connection, to him, was exceptionally tangible, and Chan found his heart gravitating towards Hansol. 

He had reason to fall for Hansol. He had a wonderful personality, and he was kind to Chan--which, honestly, things that Hansol showed to him, such as charisma and rich genuineness, always made him weak at the knees. He was completely perfect for him. Chan thought there couldn’t possibly be anything that would prevent him from getting together with Hansol.

Well, that was before he saw a giggly Seungkwan drag an equally giggly Hansol out of the house and into the woods.

Chan tried not to think about it. Certainly, he might have been overreacting--what if Hansol wasn’t gay? Maybe he and Seungkwan might’ve gone out to do something stupid. Wouldn’t that mean he could join them, then, even though they were most certainly drunker than he was?

Although he was thinking of as many reasons as possible, he knew there was a reason his feet were reluctant to go after them. There was something in the air that told him he couldn't interrupt what Hansol and Seungkwan had that night, as if the universe did not permit him a single step. That was what Chan wanted to believe, but even he could see it himself; they wanted themselves to each other, just them alone, with no intruders to spoil their fun.

Chan couldn't help but dampen when his thoughts spiraled in that direction.

At the foot of the swimming pool, Chan dreamed of a world where he was never confronted with reality, and his cheeks were set aflame with an epiphany.

He was falling for Hansol.

But as he was at the party to let loose instead of thinking about boys, he stopped the person nearest to him and took their cup of beer, downing it in no time.

“Chan!” A flustered Jeonghan gasped as he rushed over to yank Chan’s newly obtained beer away. “You’re not supposed to drink anything! What’s gotten into you?”

Chan chooses to slump into Jeonghan’s arms. “Hansol...maybe? Hansol. Ehehe.” He smiles and looks up at the older. “You know, he’s a _really_ nice guy. Don’t you think so?”

“Oh, Chan." Jeonghan looks down at him with pity in his forgiving eyes. "Do you like him?”

“So what if I do? It’s not like I can help it…”

Jeonghan, not knowing what to say in that moment, just pats him on the back and guides him back into the house. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes! They kissed!
> 
> No! Seungkwan ran away :O
> 
> rip
> 
> If you guys ever have any questions about the plot, don't hesitate to ask them down in the comments.
> 
> See ya next week~


	6. Peering Down the Rabbit Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of Wonwoo's party, a Sunday morning greets certain people with a new future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> essentially: plot plot plot  
> also = italics indicate flashback (in this chapter, a flashback to last night)

In a world vividly defined by noise, the morning saw silence blanketing Chan’s dorm room. 

Sunday mornings were usually quiet for Jeonghan as it represented a day of rest. Weekends were normally designated for relaxation, but there was just something about Sundays that made them all the more special. Saturdays were always crowded with activity, with things to do that couldn’t be done during the working week. And Fridays were just the prologue to the weekend concept.

Sunday was a day of rest, but Jeonghan’s mind grew restless as he looked down at Chan sleeping on his bed.

Although he did his best to pacify Chan’s anguish, Jeonghan couldn’t help but think about how dangerously the younger man wore his heart on his sleeve. Chan had grown close to Jeonghan and Seungcheol when he entered university, and Jeonghan was stunned to see this type of behavior from Chan. He wondered when exactly Chan fell for Hansol. And most importantly, what did Chan see last night to render him into such a helpless state?

Jeonghan turned on his phone and checked his Messages app. Last night, he texted Seungcheol to find out ways for helping out Chan. Even though Jeonghan was known as a pretty calm/wise person in the group, last night’s ordeal was certainly not somewhere where he could help.

As soon as they’d reached Chan’s dorm room, Chan had grown silent, and refused to talk to Jeonghan about anything.

_“So when did you start liking him?” Jeonghan asks as soon as the door closed. “Was it during that one time you two danced together?”_

_On his bed, Chan seemingly decides to stifle his thoughts as he steels his gaze towards the floor. His lips pursed in deep thought as if he was debating on whether he should say anything. “You can tell me anything, you know,” Jeonghan reassures him, but his words bring about no change. Chan hangs his head low._

_“Something else is wrong.” Jeonghan states in the absence of Chan’s response. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen you like this. Surely this goes farther than you liking Hansol. I won’t pressure you into talking about it, but if your relationship with Hansol is hurting you this much, then I want to know about it. I just don’t want you to be sad at all.”_

_Instead of saying anything, Chan merely fists his bedsheets and squints at the floor. “I don’t really feel like talking. But,” he breathes and looks up to Jeonghan, “Hansol has done nothing wrong to me. I’m just…” Words fail him, so Jeonghan merely claps a hand on the back of Chan’s left shoulder._

_“It’s fine. Maybe you should get some rest. You got drunk after a single cup, for goodness’s sake.” Chan obeys Jeonghan and promptly settles into his covers without changing his clothes. He was exhausted; what else could he do? “But just remember, I’m here for you. Got it?”_

_Although Jeonghan expects some form of response to know that he’d understood him, the only thing Jeonghan ends up hearing is a bout of soft snoring._

Chan had told him that Hansol wasn’t guilty of anything, but if Hansol had made Chan pull that face of agony last night, then Jeonghan had reason to deem Hansol worthy of an investigation. 

He opens his Messages app and checks whether Seungcheol has read any of his messages:

**To: Jisoo**

seungcheol

raaaaaandom question

is hansol dating anyone at the moment?

He then noticed who he _actually_ texted to and cursed himself inside his head. Maybe he was a bit tipsy last night. Trying to rectify his mistake, he types out a few new messages to Jisoo:

**To: Jisoo**

omg jisoo sorry

i apparently sent these messages to you

please ignore the above

**From: Jisoo**

If I can ask,

why are you interested in Hansol all of a sudden?

Well, he had no way of reversing the conversation. Even if he wanted to stop texting about this altogether, he didn’t want to create any misunderstandings for Jisoo. So he decides to be honest. Plus, he’s worried for Chan, and it would be nice if he had someone as capable as Jisoo to help him out.

**To: Jisoo**

chan got drunk and apparently claimed that he liked hansol

**From: Jisoo**

How did Chan get his hands on alcohol in the first place?!

honestly even i don’t know

i got him out of the house as soon as i saw him drinking

Thank God.

But wait, are you just asking about Hansol because Chan “claims” to like him?

Do you like Chan? What happened to your thing for Seungcheol?

my “thing for seungcheol” is alive and thriving

i don’t like chan

but he was

actually let me just call you i don’t think i should be texting you about this stuff

people can look through phones and all

After stepping out of the room, Jeonghan presses the call button on Jisoo’s contact. “Hello?” Jeonghan hears after three rings.

“Hey, Jisoo. Let me explain.” Far from the door of Chan’s room, Jeonghan, in hopes of explaining the extent of Chan’s situation, retells the events of last night to Jisoo, who listens with his undivided attention. By the time he’s done explaining, Jisoo holds the same questions as him.

“What did Hansol ever do to him?” Jisoo asks first. “To me, it sounds like Hansol did him wrong in some way, shape or form, but _how?_ ”

“That’s the thing!” Jeonghan exclaims. “And it doesn’t seem like they’re fighting, or have fought recently. I can’t get my head around this sudden change.” 

When Jisoo replies, he solidifies a resolve that has developed between him and Jeonghan. “Maybe we should keep an eye out for any more interactions between Hansol and Chan. If Chan is really hurting that badly because of him, we should know about it.”

“I agree. Let’s just watch him for a while.” Jeonghan takes a peek down the hallway. “I should probably go back and check on Chan. Let’s talk later, okay?”

* * *

Hansol isn’t exactly faring well, either.

He and Seungkwan had kissed-- _kissed_ \--last night. 

Sure, they had been wasted to their red cheeks, but there was no way Hansol could ever forget what had happened last night between them.

The night around them had been electric, alive with something to expect and anticipate. The position they were in basically gave them the opportunity--how could Hansol resist the chance when he had Seungkwan above him, pliant, and somehow wanting the same thing he did? It’s far-fetched to say that he knew that Seungkwan also thought about taking that opportunity, but Hansol wanted to try. Every inch of him had scorched with the choice, and he knew he had to quell the fire in the best way he could think of with his alcohol-riddled mind. 

Yet somehow, despite the haziness of it all, Hansol innately knew that he just had to kiss Seungkwan then and there, and the deed was done.

Just remembering it made him feel as if he was reliving the moment altogether. He remembered the exact point when Seungkwan happily responded to him, when their gamble of love had turned into a collaborative synergy. Although they merely kissed, it was as if their souls had merged for an instance, and every gesture only strengthened the inseparable bond they’ve been developing between each other.

But why?

Why did Seungkwan run away from something so gratifying?

Surely he must’ve known that what they’d shared last night was something they knew was inevitable.

Hansol buries his face into his pillow when he recalls Seungkwan’s face before he left. Seungkwan had looked traumatized, struck by an unknown terror. But the signs were very much evident to Hansol: Seungkwan had been disgusted by him. He has reason to be disgusted. For instance, Seungkwan was probably not gay. And forcing a kiss onto someone else without their consent was a given dealbreaker. Seungkwan must hate him right now! How could he betray his friend’s trust so easily?

And even though Hansol thinks through all this, somehow, he still believes that the kiss was meant to happen. Why else would the trees hush in the rowdiest of nights? Why else would the air clench at their desperate hearts? 

Still, his number-one priority was Seungkwan, and that also meant his well-being. His feet now stand in front of Seungkwan’s dorm door. He needed to apologize for what happened. He at least wanted to keep Seungkwan as a cherished friend.

Three knocks echo in the hallway, and it takes approximately six seconds for Seungkwan to turn the handle and greet Hansol. “O-Oh.” Seungkwan breathes out upon seeing him, and Hansol tries not to wince in disappointment. “Hi.”

“I’m guessing you still remember what happened last night,” Hansol looks down to hide his increasing worry. 

“I still remember.” The playful atmosphere they normally shared was now a thing of the past.

“Listen, Seungkwan,” Hansol looks up again and maintains eye contact with the man in question, “I want to apologize. It was wrong of me to suddenly kiss you like that without even asking whether you were okay with it. I was drunk and far too gone to even think rationally, and I selfishly thought of myself. I’m really sorry if you were disgusted by what I did, but I promise it won’t-”

“Hansol, stop.” Hansol promptly shuts up, following Seungkwan’s command. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. I was just…” Seungkwan clenches his eyebrows as he trails off in his sentence. “...shocked, that’s all.” 

To Hansol, it seemed like Seungkwan hesitated to say more, but he chooses to not say anything else. “Seungkwan, I just...I don’t want what happened last night to come between us. I don’t want us to be weird around each other and all that. So can we…” Hansol cringes internally as he curses the words that he forces out of his mouth. “...just put this in the past?”

Seungkwan looks equally stupefied for a second, but then he reverts back to the initial wary expression he held. “Sure,” he exhales, and Hansol’s shoulders loosen. He’s grateful to all the eternal powers of the universe for being able to keep Seungkwan in his life.

“Good. That’s--great! I’m happy with that.” Hansol concludes, shooting Seungkwan a small smile. Seungkwan reciprocates, but the smile doesn’t reach his eyes. And Hansol's lie still echoes in his ears.

They may have patched things up on the surface, but the turmoil from their kiss continues to torture them for the next few days.

* * *

Jihoon doesn’t know where he is.

The only thing he sees is a river a few meters away from him. From what he can deduce, he’s in a small, empty field in the middle of the night. He wonders whether he wandered into some random place after Wonwoo’s party, but then he remembers going to his dorm room at some unholy hour, so he knows for sure that he’s fast asleep.

Or, _should_ be fast asleep, at least.

The night illuminates with the sight of two people passing Jihoon. He follows them to the edge of the riverbank, and it was then when he notices that each person--no, each _man_ carrying certain things. One held a giant paper lantern, while another held onto a container of black ink and a large brush.

Jihoon stays vigilant behind them, not wanting to startle the men in any way, so he watches as they kiss, and he tries not to gasp out of shock. He couldn’t immediately confirm what--or _who_ \--he just saw, so he waits patiently and watches the two men write characters onto the flimsy material of the lantern. They laugh and smile. Jihoon, at this point, would feel as if he was intruding and leave immediately, but there was an aspect to these two men that prevented him from moving from his spot.

“Sorry,” one of them chuckles as he quickly writes something onto the lantern, “I’m just too excited.” 

The man beside him merely grins.

After they were done writing on the lantern, they set the ink and brush onto the ground and hold onto the lantern together. Suddenly, a horn pierces the night’s tranquility, and the two men release the lantern into the air. They turn to each other, unleashing grins of unadulterated happiness lighting up their faces, and kiss each other one more time. 

“Eh?” Jihoon couldn’t believe his eyes as he gawked at the two men in front of him. “Seungkwan? Hansol?” 

Jihoon instantly brings his hands up to his mouth as he accidentally spoke, but then the world around him morphs to reveal hundreds of other people, clad in similar clothes to Seungkwan and Hansol, releasing their own lanterns across the river, and the lanterns become too difficult to count alone, and the lights blind him, and for some reason, the smell of dead roses pollutes the air-

-and Jihoon wrenches himself upright, sitting on his bed and sweating profusely as his heart begs for release against his sternum. Sunlight streams through the slits of his closed shades as Sunday morning attempts to greet Jihoon. But.

What did he just see?

_What did he just see?_

He takes a few moments to himself to calm down, which is understandable, as dreams were certainly not supposed to be that vivid.

And they certainly shouldn’t contain two of his friends kissing each other.

Jihoon doesn’t believe it was a dream, but it had been one. Yet his senses had never been so heightened. It was as if he was there at the same moment as Dream Hansol and Seungkwan. 

He wants to chalk the dream up to last night’s party, but last night didn’t observe him drinking as much as he thought he did. He had been relatively sober during his time at Wonwoo’s. Nevertheless, what he just saw were merely dreams. Or so he tries to convince himself.

Somehow, he's found himself worrying about some stupid dream more often than not, and he realizes that he has someone he could call on. A childhood friend of his is practically a specialist in all things ethereal--Jihoon has never understood how Minghao got his penchant for dreams and visions and the like, but he's never been more grateful to have him now.

Hating how racked up he feels about what he's just witnessed, when the clock finally turns 9:00, Jihoon rings up Minghao, and he responds in one ring. "Jihoon!" His cheery voice reverberates around the dorm room. "It's been way too long since you last contacted me."

"I know. It's been, what, a couple of months already? I don't think we've talked since summer!" Jihoon smiles. 

"And that's exactly why I know you're calling me for a serious matter." Minghao deadpans on the other side, and Jihoon stills to remember what he dialed him for.

"You're still into that fancy dream stuff, right?"

"If that's how you're phrasing it, then yes. I'm still 'into that.'"

"Let me tell you about the wildest dream I just had." Jihoon launches into a vivid retelling of the scenes he had just seen right before he woke up, and Minghao listens. 

And as he listens to his beloved friend practically retell a part of Hyeongi and Jaesang's story that he _somehow_ witnessed, Minghao could only worry about what the stars had in store for Hansol and Seungkwan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this fic, everything orbits VerKwan :P


	7. Everything is Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One dream leads to an interesting encounter.  
> What does a kiss lead to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Formal apologies for uploading this chapter a day late! 
> 
> I've been quite ill this past weekend and was unable to update on time.
> 
> Thank you for your support and understanding :)

Although he knew how Seokmin had been off recently, Jihoon never expected him to agonize over something like _this._

Jihoon doesn’t meet Seokmin on a daily basis, but he knows how well-known the younger was in some departments. Seokmin was a charmer with every person he encountered. So when Jihoon heard about his recent behavior, he had every right to be at least a bit concerned. Yes, he did have the power to contact the man personally and ask him how he was doing, but he didn’t want to intrude on places where he wasn’t sure he was welcomed.

But even Jihoon could’ve never fathomed a conversation like this ever occurring between them. “What?” he spurts out after Seokmin spun his long tale. 

“Listen, I know it seems unbelievable--trust me, _I know_ \--but it’s all true. Hansol and Seungkwan were actually lovers in their past life, and now they’ve reunited as friends in this life.” Jihoon looks up to Seokmin’s eyes and hopes to find something akin to sleep-deprivation or fatigue, but alas. It seems that Seokmin has never been this alive until now.

This conversation would have never happened if it weren’t for Minghao.

* * *

At five years old, when Lee Jihoon met Xu Minghao for the first time, the first question he’d asked him was, “Why do you wear sunglasses inside?” He still remembers thinking how much he wanted to copy him so he could look just as cool as his classmate did.

Minghao had innocently smiled at him and declared, “Because you shine too brightly for me.” Although it had been the perfect birth to a wonderful friendship, Jihoon would later learn that Minghao had been born with an eye condition that rendered his eyes hyper-sensitive to light. But that was only one of many things Jihoon would come to learn about him for the following years. 

Minghao became one of the most patient people in Jihoon’s life; the former’s calm demeanor contrasted with the latter’s sometimes brash personality, providing a dynamic and a strengthened bond Jihoon could never get with anyone else. It was Minghao who first heard about Jihoon’s growing love for music. It was Minghao who’d talked about his aspirations to become a historian.

Despite that, Jihoon had never been this confused with Minghao until now.

“Jihoon, I don’t think that was a dream.” Minghao had breathed over the phone, the air sparking with hope. “I think you just saw a fragment of the past.”

“The past?” Jihoon scrunched his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

The fated question had sprung forth and unraveled the final curtain that rested between them. 

From there, Minghao had confessed his _true_ reasons for wanting to become a historian. If Jihoon remembered correctly, Minghao was the reincarnation of a village oracle from long ago. In the past, he was a prophet to the stars above, and to this day, he retained his abilities to understand the stars and what they decide to tell him. If he became a proper historian, he could carefully preserve the history of the Village of Rose Petals for centuries to come. Many of the works that were in the village had perished from the Great Comet. 

At first, Jihoon thought his friend’s words had been a bit ( _A bit?_ ) far-fetched, but when Minghao had told him of Hyeongi and Jaesang, without leaving any detail uncovered, Jihoon was compelled to place more of his trust in him.

“So Hansol is Jaesang and Seungkwan is Hyeongi…” Jihoon trailed off, attempting to make sense of everything that’s been dumped on him.

“I know you may have trouble believing me at first; trust me, I would if I was in your position.” Jihoon could hear Minghao ruffle his hair over the phone. “But if you’re seeing the past like this, then something big’s going to happen. And soon. Now that the past, present, _and_ future have all been seen, one way or another-”

“The future?” Jihoon interrupted. “You can see into the future?”

Minghao paused. “Well, I’m taking care of the present. And the stars have told me that you were blessed with the ability to see into the Village’s past. And the person who can see into the future…”

* * *

“How can you be so sure that it’s Hansol and Seungkwan?” Jihoon pops the question.

“Ah! I forgot.” Seokmin leans forward in his chair. “The thing is, although the stars really liked them together, the only reason Hyeongi and Jaesang were able to meet again in this life was because of the lantern ritual they did at the…” Words begin to fail Seokmin. “...the…” He purses his lips in confusion.

“The Festival of Stars?” Jihoon supplies.

“Yeah, that! After they signed a lantern and sent it flying, they destined their love for every life they live.” Seokmin gapes as if he was just hit with whiplash. “Wait, how-”

“Minghao told me you knew about the future, but I had to be sure.” Jihoon clasps his hands and finally absorbs the situation at hand. He was never one for faith, but he knew something large was at work here. 

“Minghao?”

“Ah, you probably know him as Efa. He works part-time for the Student Union for other things, mainly for handling documents. He’s always been really good at organizing.”

Seokmin blinks twice before speaking. “You mean to tell me you already knew everything I just told you?”

“Pretty much.” 

At that, Seokmin slumps in his chair and groans out of frustration. “Are you _serious?_ Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I feel so embarrassed now.”

“Can you blame me for fact-checking? This whole reincarnation story is hard to get at first.” Jihoon checks his watch. They’ve been at the cafe longer than he’d liked, but at least he was able to get some closure. “In any case, what are we supposed to do now? What does this mean for Hansol and Seungkwan?”

Seokmin widens his eyes. “Right! I think they’re starting to fall for each other now. They haven’t been hanging around each other this much for nothing. And especially after what I saw at Wonwoo’s…”

Jihoon shudders. It was frightening to know that Seokmin’s newly-gained ability had been working, and working well. “I don’t think there’s really much to do. All they have to do is fall in love, right? And the stars will be happy again or something.”

“But E--Minghao said that I was given my power for a reason, that something might happen to Hansol and Seungkwan.”

“Like what?”

“You tell me! Maybe something happened in their past lives, and it’ll affect them in this life, too?”

“So we’re all gonna die from a giant comet.”

“Jihoon!” 

“Well, I don’t know!” He lowers his voice to prevent himself from bursting into anger. “I’ll probably have to wait for another vision of the past to get some answers. Maybe talk to Minghao about this later.” Jihoon stares resolutely into Seokmin’s eyes. In his past life, Minghao had known that something unfortunate would befall Hyeongi and Jaesang, but he didn't know what and when. He couldn't imagine Minghao knowing anything now. “But if something’s out there to kill Hansol and Seungkwan, we need to protect them. Otherwise, it’ll be our fault for being unable to save them. Understand?”

Seokmin nods in agreement, further solidifying their fates.

* * *

“Seungcheol,” Seungkwan texts him one night, “can I ask you about something?”

Coincidentally, Seungcheol just happened to be in Seungkwan’s vicinity. So when he pulled up a chair beside Seungkwan at the local convenience store just five minutes after that message was sent, it was understandable for Seungkwan to be mildly perturbed. “What’s up?” Seungcheol prompts.

“Gosh, I can’t believe you were actually near me.” Seungkwan rubs a hand over his chest area. “Where did you come from?”

“Had to get a book for one of my courses.” Seungcheol holds up a book, fittingly titled _Respect for Acting_. “But stop deflecting from yourself. Is there anything wrong?”

Seungkwan breathes shallowly before responding. “Let me try to explain it. Imagine you have two people: Person A and Person B.” Seungcheol can see how Seungkwan hesitates, but lets him continue and waits patiently. “Person A and Person B seem to...like each other. A lot. Like, romantically, I think. And one day, Person B finally kisses him. And I think--uh, I mean, Person A thinks it went really well. He was really happy they finally...you know.

“But something weird happened when they kissed. Person A felt something. Like...fear. And also saw something that any sane person would probably never see after kissing someone for the first time. So Person A stopped the kiss. And now things are weird. How am I--ugh, how is _Person A_ supposed to ever address this with Person B?” He pauses and sneaks a glance at Seungcheol. “You must think I’m the weirdest person ever.”

Seungcheol places his elbows onto the table they share. “Well, that’s not something you hear every day, I’ll admit.” He smiles at Seungkwan to give a form of reassurance. “How are things with Person B at the moment?” He decides to use Seungkwan’s pseudonyms for his junior’s sake.

“They’re not exactly _bad_ ,” Seungkwan sighs, “but they aren’t exactly normal either.” He finally looks at Seungcheol in the eye. “I just feel so bad, you know. We were starting to have something, but then I had to go and do _that._ I want to make it up to him somehow, but he probably thinks I’m crazy.”

“Has he ever told you that?”

“...no.”

“What happened after you guys kissed?”

“The day after, he came to my room and apologized for kissing me without asking for permission first…”

Seungcheol breaks into a hearty laugh upon hearing Seungkwan’s words. “And you really think he finds you crazy?” After letting out a few more chuckles, Seungcheol grins proudly. “Whoever this Person B is, he’s a keeper. It seems he really treasures you.”

Seungkwan reddens with his senior’s bold statement. “You really think so?”

“Hey~ Of course! Although it’d be a shame if you were to lose him. What are you doing here when you could be spending more time with Person B?” Seungcheol guffaws. “I don’t think he could ever hate you, Seungkwan. Trust me on this. Trust _him._ ”

Something catches Seungcheol’s eye, and to his surprise, Hansol’s walking up to them in front of the store. He’s clad in a dark-blue beanie, an oversized white t-shirt, and a slick, gray suit jacket over it. Seungcheol has always thought Hansol’s fashion was unorthodox, but with looks like his, Hansol could make anything work. “Yo, Hansol! How are ya?” Seungcheol calls out. Seungkwan stiffens beside him.

“Hey, Seungcheol. I’m alright. You guys okay?” Hansol asks, eyes drifting between Seungcheol and Seungkwan. 

“Wanna join us?” Seungkwan proffers.

“Nah,” Hansol shrugs, “I’m just here to get some chips and then head back to the dorms.”

“Ah, seriously? I’ll head back with you, then,” Seungkwan brightens, and glances at Seungcheol.

“Cool. I’ll be out in a few,” Hansol concludes with a smile mainly aimed at Seungkwan, and proceeds to walk into the convenience store. As soon as he’s out of earshot, Seungcheol notices Seungkwan’s red ears, and there’s a dawn in realization. 

“Hansol is Person B, isn’t he?” Seungcheol whispers.

“HUSH!” Seungkwan panics, and Seungcheol laughs again. He hopes that his laugh sounds genuine enough.

Sometime recently, Jeonghan recently came to him with concerns regarding Hansol, asking random questions about him.

_“Is Hansol dating anyone? Do you think he’s gay? I wonder whether he’s looking for anyone at the moment…”_

_“Jeonghan, do you like Hansol?”_

_“NO. I’m just...asking for a friend.”_

Eventually, Jeonghan had given in and told him about Chan’s crush on Hansol. Although the exchange of information had been clearly innocuous, after talking to Seungkwan, Seungcheol could now see it tainted with deceit. It was evident from their interaction that Hansol and Seungkwan liked each other, and as a result, there was no way Chan could ever get with Hansol.

Seungcheol never liked hurting anyone.

When Hansol steps out of the store, Seungkwan stands up beside Seungcheol. “Thanks for keeping me company,” he says, kindly expressing his gratitude. 

“No problem. You guys be safe, okay?” Seungcheol reminds them.

“What about you? Are you just gonna sit here for the rest of the night?” Hansol jokes.

“Of course not. I’m probably gonna stay here and read for a while before I head back.”

“I see. Well, see you later!” Seungkwan nods, and he heads off with Hansol towards the dorms.

Seungcheol releases a heavy sigh to himself. He didn’t know whether to keep this information secret or disclose it with Jeonghan. Yet it seems that, no matter what he decided to do with his knowledge, there would always be someone hurt. Disclosing it with Jeonghan would hurt Seungkwan, who had trusted him, and Chan, who was pining after Hansol. But keeping it to himself would hurt Jeonghan (if he knew Seungcheol was hiding this from him) and Chan. He hated being at the center of a moral struggle such as this.

But there was a reason he was known as one of the most dependable people in their large friend group.

So he stays silent for now and instead gives his attention to the course material he’s bought.

He’ll deliberate over his decision later.

* * *

Seungkwan had been brave and took up Seungcheol’s advice to spend more time with Hansol, but he regrets it just a bit. He forgot to take into consideration the palpable tension he’s been feeling every time he talked to Hansol.

Sure, they “patched” things up after Wonwoo’s party with Hansol’s apology and Seungkwan’s forgiveness, but memories don’t erase themselves that easily. For a while, Seungkwan’s mind keeps revisiting that destined night. It wasn’t uncommon to find Seungkwan losing himself in his own thoughts during a study session, favoring his imagination over absorbance rates of certain plants. He could still recall that night as if he was reliving it all over again: the dewy air, the intoxicating smell of alcohol, the scorching heat that radiated from Hansol’s being against his.

And of course, their lips together. That was always the sensation Seungkwan’s mind kept coming back to. But when Hansol had walked up to them back at the store, Seungkwan remembered everything good and bad that had transpired that night--and he rectifies himself.

Now, as they walk down dimly-lit streets littered with merely the sound of the nighttime’s insects, Seungkwan can’t help but imagine what _could_ happen between the two of them. He still had reason to doubt Hansol’s affections for him; after all, their escapade during the party had certainly been a drunken one, and the stars know what humans could get up to under the influence of alcohol. Maybe Hansol liked kissing random people when he was drunk. 

Nevertheless, they were alone, and Seungkwan was nervous. Who wouldn’t be in a position such as his? 

For the past couple of times they’ve encountered each other, when it’s just the two of them, the number of words they’ve exchanged have decreased over time. And even in times when others are around them, Hansol and Seungkwan kept sneaking unexplainable glances at each other. Seungkwan doesn’t try to question their bizarre behavior with each other.

“Seungkwan,” Hansol exhales, becoming the first to break the silence, “how drunk were you that night?”

Seungkwan’s breath hitches in his step.

They both know what night Hansol was referring to.

“I…” Seungkwan was plastered, sure, but he wasn’t wasted. “I wasn’t _that_ drunk, I guess…” Curiosity struck him in the head. “What about you?”

“I didn’t drink a lot that night.”

“Ah.” Seungkwan wasn’t looking at Hansol, but he knew neither refused to meet the other’s eye. They had never talked about what happened until now. “I thought you were too drunk to function then. We were laughing so much.”

Hansol snickers. “You were _totally_ tripping on air.”

“I was not!”

They laugh until their cheeks hurt, and the tension diminishes gradually. Have things reverted back to the way they were?

“Next thing you know, you’re gonna tell me you kissed me on purpose!” Seungkwan giggles, and it isn’t until seconds later when he realizes they’re already in front of Seungkwan’s dorm building. 

That was also when he realized he was the only one laughing.

He turns around to seek Hansol, who was already staring at him from a meter away. Seungkwan lost all sense of time. Hansol had fallen into a silence that merely confirmed everything and nothing at once. They looked at each other expectantly for what seemed to be hours before Hansol spoke up once more.

“What if it had been on purpose, Seungkwan?” Hansol tentatively tries. “What would you do then?”

Seungkwan knows that he’s being given an opportunity. This was Hansol’s way of indirectly asking whether they could pursue what they had with each other. He looks into Hansol’s eyes and not only sees hope embedded into them, but desperation. Hansol has also suffered just as much as him. Seungkwan could only imagine how many times the kiss has plagued his mind since then.

However, seeds of doubt have been planted in his mindset ever since their first kiss, and Seungkwan could only tell him one answer.

“I would do nothing,” Seungkwan states, “since it was just a kiss and nothing more.”

He tilts his head downwards and scratches the back of his head to avoid seeing Hansol’s dejected expression. “Is that so?” he hears Hansol sardonically spit the words out as if they were acidic. Words can never be underestimated; they wound just as much as rapid bullets. Comets, even. “I see.”

Seungkwan faces his building and starts to head inside. “You should head to your building already, Hansol. It’s getting late.” His advice probably falls short of Hansol’s ears. 

“Yeah.” He could hear Hansol’s shoes scuffle against the cement pathway. “I’ll see you, Seungkwan.”

In response, Seungkwan politely nods to acknowledge his words. “Goodbye, Hansol.”

And when the volume of Hansol’s footsteps have faded into nothing, Seungkwan wills his tears away and hurls internal curses between his mind and the great unknown, berating himself for seeing that awful vision of his hand covered with blood when he had finally seared his lips with Hansol. Despite this, he knows that seeing such a horrible sight was a sign of misfortune for the two of them, so his decision was inevitable. He spends a few minutes outside, lamenting over what could’ve been, before he finally goes inside.

Above his head, tonight’s sky blares with the stars’ ire, their brilliance marring the tranquility of a quiet night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please take care of yourselves.
> 
> See you next week with the next update!


	8. I Dare You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two people can only tango for so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...sorry for the huge delay. My hiatus is no more!
> 
> Now that my exam's done, I can get back to writing.
> 
> Expect weekly updates every Monday night :)

Hansol hasn’t talked to Seungkwan in two weeks.

To people like Mingyu and Soonyoung, it’s an interesting observation. Having been around Hansol the most, the two of them watched as his interactions with Seungkwan diminished into nothing. 

Mingyu’s been wanting to ask him about it, but Soonyoung told him to hold it for a while. They weren’t supposed to pry. If Hansol wanted to tell them about it, Hansol would’ve come to them. And so they haven’t said anything about it or mentioned it again, believing that their separation was there for a reason. 

But after Mingyu once saw Hansol and Seungkwan in the same room, with Seungkwan desperately hiding from Hansol’s sight, Soonyoung wasn’t able to stop the question from being popped.

“You guys down for some football later today?” Soonyoung suggests when they’re eating together one Wednesday lunch.

“Can’t.” Hansol jabs his fork into another piece of chicken on his plate before continuing. “I’m meeting up with Chan later today. We’re gonna be filming a dance video.”

Soonyoung brightens. “Ah, the one with that Drake song?”

“Mmm,” Hansol nods.

“You  _ have _ to let me join you. I can film you guys!”

“It’s embarrassing! You’re probably gonna nit-pick my dancing.”

“I promise I won’t.” Soonyoung says that, but deep down, he knew he could help improve Hansol’s dancing with his many bouts of constructive criticism.

“Hmm…” Mingyu hums non-committedly. “You’ve been hanging out with Chan a lot. Did you replace Seungkwan with him or something?”

Mingyu chuckles a bit, but upon seeing the disquiet reflected in Hansol’s change of gaze, he knows he’s crossed a line. Could you blame him for being curious? 

Soonyoung shoots him a warning glare, but Hansol steps in with a cool reply. “Seungkwan’s been busy lately, and Chan and I’ve been able to get closer,” he explains.

Mingyu thinks there’s more to it than what Hansol’s been letting on, but even he knows when to stop. “That’s cool. Now I wanna see what you and Chan choreographed!”

“Please,  _ no. _ Plus, it was Chan who choreographed everything. He’s the one with the dancing talent.”

“You might be hiding some potential from me, you little brat!” Soonyoung jests, and Hansol grins knowingly.

* * *

A few minutes passed in steady conversation before Mingyu left to complete an important assignment for one of his Business classes, leaving Soonyoung and Hansol to depart for Chan’s practice room. When they arrived, Chan was already blasting Drake’s “Toosie Slide” on the speakers, running through his dance moves in preparation for the dance video he was going to upload.

Hansol was momentarily entranced by Chan’s fluidity. To have Chan’s innate grace and natural flow was a beautiful thing altogether; Chan was always in his element whenever it came to dancing. Just like Soonyoung, he lived to dance, and Hansol has always admired that passion in the two of them.

It didn’t take long for Chan to break out of his focus and notice Hansol. “Hansol!” he beams radiantly. His face then morphs into surprise upon noticing the second body next to him. “Soonyoung, too?”

“He really wanted to watch me dance since he’s never seen me dance before,” Hansol explains, and Soonyoung merely flashes a playful smirk.

“Is that so?” Chan nods once. “Well, if you can film us, we would really appreciate it!”

“Of course!” Soonyoung takes the camera off the shelf and prepares it for the video. “Man, to see Hansol--HANSOL--dance for once...I’m really pumped to see it!”

“Same. He’s worked hard in our collaboration.” Chan wraps an arm around Hansol’s shoulders. “As your senior in dance, it is with pride that I say...you’re great.”

“Just ‘great?’” Hansol tries.

“Maybe you can prove yourself with this filming.”

“You’re on.” Hansol’s eyes squint with delight and a competitive spirit. After Soonyoung presses the record button, Chan uses his wireless remote to start up the song on the speakers once more.

Hansol falls into the well-versed rhythm he’s been repeating for two weeks now. The moves come back to him like a book he’s recently read, and he swiftly moves his body to the beat. He can hear Soonyoung’s cheers and encouragement not far from him, and Chan’s multifaceted gaze of focus and amusement boosts his ego. Hansol isn’t much of a dancer, but if any of his dancer friends invited him to dance (as Chan had done), he could dance at a decent level.

His laid-back style of dancing merges well with Chan’s clear, sharp cuts, and they dance for a few more seconds before the music finally stops. Once Soonyoung ends the recording, he loudly applauds them. “My two babies...have grown up so much!” His fake sniffles would normally irritate Hansol, but for today, he accepts them wholeheartedly.

Chan stares at him through the wall mirror. “You did well. I’m really glad I was able to get you for this video,” he admits.

“Me, too. It was fun doing this with you.”

“Maybe we could do more collaborations in the future?” 

Hansol nods. “I’d like that a lot.”

Chan reciprocates his kindness by holding his hand out for a fist bump. “Same. I’ll keep you posted, then.” 

As Hansol touches his knuckles to Chan’s, they both smile giddily at each other as they revel in the successful filming of their collaboration video. 

“Gosh, you two could become famous~!” Soonyoung cheers.

“I think Hansol’s gonna get a lot of attention from a lot of people once this video gets posted onto the Danceology channel,” Chan predicts.

“Isn’t he already popular?”

“Yeah, but someone like Hansol  _ dancing? _ He’ll have men and women falling at his feet.”

“That’s the LAST thing I want anyone to be doing!” Hansol complains, and Soonyoung and Chan belt out a laugh. 

Hansol then notices something moving at the corner of his eye, and it almost perturbed him to know that there might have been someone peeking at the two of them from outside the practice room door. However, the head of hair Hansol thought he spotted disappeared in mere nanoseconds, and Hansol decided to not mull on it too much.

He thought he’d seen Seungkwan.

He didn’t know he was right.

* * *

“I can’t believe you listen to  _ that _ , of all things!” Seungkwan had a right to feel offended. 

“Who are you to tell me what I like and cannot like?” Seokmin raises an eyebrow to challenge him. He holds up the record in his hand and gently cradles it between his fingers. “I’ll have you know that Virginia to Vegas have gotten me through a lot!”

After running into each other at the local record shop, Seokmin and Seungkwan have been chattering non-stop about their music tastes. 

For Seokmin, he’s pleasantly surprised he’s relaxing more in Seungkwan’s presence. He finds it ironic considering how indirectly involved the other has been in his life.

He hasn’t had a vision ever since he talked to Jihoon about the whole conundrum. Although he should be happy Hyeongi’s and Jaesang’s reincarnations haven’t been in any trouble, Seokmin can’t help but be vigilant. Alert, so that when the next vision comes, he can decipher it, and maybe help out Hansol and Seungkwan somehow.

His own friends--tied by something intangible and inexplicably crucial. Seokmin wants to know why. 

Who are the stars?

Why Hyeongi and Jaesang?

_ Why Hansol and Seungkwan? _

However, with the way things have played out recently, with Jihoon getting roped into all this and Minghao’s claims  _ effectively _ proven true at Wonwoo’s party that one time, Seokmin eventually gave up on answering questions. It wouldn’t do him well.

For now, Minghao has promised to let both him and Jihoon know of any new developments with the stars. In return, they were to report any more visions through the group chat they had.

Seokmin hasn’t had anything to report, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be able to give news anytime soon. (Unless he wants to report Seungkwan for judging his music taste.)

When they’re walking out of the store with a shared desire for ice cream, Seokmin almost freezes when Seungkwan touches upon a strange subject. “Do you ever think some things are meant to be?” the younger broaches.

Seokmin hums, stalling for time. “Depends on the nature of what things you’re talking about. Got an example?”

“People,” Seungkwan exhales, “Like, for example, are there couples that just can’t work together?”

“Relationship advice, huh?” Seokmin curls his mouth into a mischievous grin. “Why you asking? You think you can’t get with someone? How incompatible could you possibly be with them?”

“It’s not that we’re incompatible--not in the least. It’s just…there’s something telling me I shouldn’t be with him. Like there’s this voice in my head that keeps telling me, ‘Don’t do it. You can’t. It won’t work.’”

Seokmin wants to ask who Seungkwan’s talking about. It could be Hansol. Or not. How problematic would that be? “But you guys haven’t been together as a couple yet, right?”

“Right.”

“And you haven’t even tried anything with him?” Even outside of the reincarnation context, Seokmin would still be tempted to chastise Seungkwan. “Don’t you think that seems a bit unfair?”

“I know! It feels like it, and I know I’m hurting him like this, but…” Seungkwan rakes an irritated hand through his hair. “...I’ve never been wrong when it comes to gut feelings. And things happen for a reason! I actually received a--” Seungkwan begins to spiel, but then rescinds his words. 

“So you think you can’t get with this dude just because your gut tells you so?” Seokmin’s heard of devoted people, but having complete faith in one’s own reasoning is another thing altogether. It’s daring. 

“...yeah.” Seungkwan sighs. “I shouldn’t have dropped this on you. It’s just--this has been bothering me for a while, and I needed another perspective on things.”

“You don’t have to apologize, Seungkwan.” Seokmin shrugs. “But honestly? I know you want to trust yourself, and you want to believe you’re doing the right thing, but you need to understand something important.”

“And what would that be?”

Seokmin thinks of himself. Thinks of his involvement in Minghao’s little “reincarnation-discovery” trio, thinks of the destined fate binding Hansol and Seungkwan, thinks of love.

But he mainly thinks of the larger scheme of which he’s become a part, and especially thinks of the stars.

Seokmin timidly smiles. “You’re only human, Seungkwan. 

And humans are never perfect.”

* * *

They say that your heart gets trapped in a cage when you know something needs to happen.

Seungkwan’s no stranger to such a feeling. It entraps him before he makes a life-changing decision--choosing where to go to university had evidently been a prime example of one. He knows that the sensation is important to fuel people into achieving unavoidable goals, and time has taught him about its importance.

However, he’s refusing to accept that feeling into his life recently. In his subconscious, he understands why he’s experiencing it again, and he knows he should do something about it, but alas. Foolishly, he swallows his heart. Fate lays a kind eye on his path, and he righteously follows it. 

He’s been avoiding Hansol for that very reason.

But sometimes, Seungkwan’s tempted to spite fate and its entire concept. He’s tempted to curse at it and question its reliability, question the relevance of his will’s antithesis. 

Such a reason for such crass behavior would certainly be suitable for today, for example.

There’s a book on a hard-to-reach shelf in the university library. Normally, he would use the conveniently-placed stools around the area to get the material he needed, but the stools were nowhere to be found. Resorting to his own efforts, he extends his arm as far as possible to obtain the book. Alas, his attempts seem futile enough, but Seungkwan was determined to get that book for his class.

Before he could pull anything in his body, a body of warmth suddenly overwhelms his back, and an arm with slender fingers extends past Seungkwan’s hand to reach the book Seungkwan had been trying to get. 

Seungkwan has never wanted to melt this much.

He knows who's behind him. It’s the same person who’s haunted both his elusive daydreams and quiet nights. The same person whose face he could never forget. The same person who sported an expression that he would constantly ponder on for days on end-

“-Hansol.”

Once more, Seungkwan is dutifully tempted to curse the stars again, but what good can rationality do when Hansol is there? When Seungkwan turns to face him, Hansol is looking down into Seungkwan’s eyes, and Seungkwan wants to distract himself from the proximity. Seungkwan could count the number of individual eyelashes on each of Hansol’s eyes. He could admire how his eyes can turn into the most luscious shade of brown when caught in the dimming sunlight. He could compose a dissertation on Hansol's gentle nature that would only reveal itself to the most deserving of people. There was an innumerable number of qualities Seungkwan could list off for Hansol.

With their breaths mingling, Seungkwan’s brought back to the night where their lips joined for the first time, and he firmly believes he wouldn’t mind doing that again now. In his life, Hansol had become an unstoppable force that Seungkwan couldn’t deny anymore.

Nevertheless, Hansol notices the closeness and puts some distance between the two of them. “Here you go,” he reluctantly says, holding out the book he’d retrieved for Seungkwan. The latter takes it wordlessly, still stunned. 

When Seungkwan doesn’t leave after a while, Hansol tests the eerily tranquil waters that separate them. “Can we talk, Seungkwan?”

Seungkwan knows a person could only be patient for so long. He’s wrapped his head around his thoughts multiple times, trying to make sense of his beliefs and observations. He’s worried about saying the wrong thing when it comes to the truth. But:

_ “Humans are never perfect.” _

The only thing he could do now was try.

“Sure.” Seungkwan affirms. “Let’s talk.”


	9. A Cosmological Shift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hansol and Seungkwan finally talk.

Hansol doesn’t know where their feet are leading them, but he’s finally relieved, for once.

For a while now, he and Seungkwan have been dancing around each other, taking cautious steps around the glaring question hanging above their heads: Why couldn’t they work?

Their initial promise to keep the kiss in the past has been broken multiple times to the point of no return. It’s clear that both of them know how things have changed between them ever since then. 

Hansol has tried to be patient. He knows Seungkwan’s not letting him in on the entire truth, so he’s waited for Seungkwan to tell him on his own time.

But that’s the thing with love. Love’s mainly seen in a positive connotation-- _ Love is patient, love is kind-- _ but love is ruthless. It makes you restless, and makes you anticipate even the smallest of possibilities for hopes of a happy ending.

So Hansol had limits. And Seungkwan had his.

Seungkwan takes the first step. “I haven’t been honest with you lately. The thing is, there are things that are preventing me from fully...accepting you.” Seungkwan’s eyebrows furrow, showing his internal struggle. “It’s kind of hard to explain…”

“Hey.” Hansol places a tentative hand on Seungkwan’s left shoulder. “I’ll listen to anything you want me to hear. No matter what.”

“Promise you won’t think I’m crazy?”

“Promise.” Hansol knows Seungkwan’s ruminated over this for a long while.

Seungkwan takes a deep breath before continuing. “First of all, I should probably say that how I’ve been acting around you...it’s not your fault. None of it is. I’ve only been avoiding you because of me alone. Actually, when we…” He blushes and looks away. “...k-kissed, I really liked it. Like,  _ really. _ ”

Hansol smiles. “Seungkwan, I’ve been wanting to kiss you again ever since that night.”

Seungkwan cries out. “How am I supposed to be honest if you keep attacking me like that?”

“Sorry. I’m just saying the truth.”

Seungkwan pouts, and it’s definitely the cutest sight Hansol’s ever seen. “...I feel the same. ANYWAYS,” he raises his voice when Hansol cocks an eyebrow, “I still need to explain myself.

“During that kiss, something really weird happened. Suddenly, right before my eyes, I saw this horrible thing. I saw a hand, and it was covered in blood. As if someone got really hurt.  I really tried not to overthink it.” Seungkwan huffs. “Maybe my imagination had been more chaotic than usual. But I couldn’t shake off this feeling that maybe, just maybe, that had been a sign. A sign that maybe we weren’t meant to be together.”

In the beats of silence that follow, Hansol’s heart shatters a little, but he can wrap his head around Seungkwan’s words. “Every relationship always comes with its worries. Or problems. Or even...potential for future disasters.” Hansol adjusts the beanie on his head. “And I know how much you trust yourself, Seungkwan. I admire that so much.

“That’s why I’d like to ask if you can trust me.”

Seungkwan finally turns to face Hansol head-on, and Hansol resumes. “Maybe what you saw is a sign of something going wrong with us in the future. It’s a possibility we can’t rule out. But another possibility includes us two,” Hansol takes Seungkwan’s hands in his own and raises them to their chests, "dating, and going through this relationship with all we've got. I mean, we won't know what will happen unless we try, right?"

Something shimmers in Seungkwan’s eyes. “I want to trust you.”

Hansol will never get tired of smiling in Seungkwan’s presence. “Well, you already have me.”

"I'm really sorry for being so weird recently. You've...really become someone special to me, and I didn't want to ruin anything between us. That's how much I care about you."

"You don't have to apologize for anything. I'm just glad we talked."

"Communication's important, huh?"

"You bet." Hansol's eyes glint with playfulness. "Wanna know something I'd like to communicate to you?" Seungkwan nods. "You're really cute."

Seungkwan sighs in fake annoyance as his eyes crinkle from the overwhelming wave of elation that washes over him. “Gosh, it’s gonna take me a while to get used to that.”

“You know you love it.”

“I do…”

Hansol tightly wraps his arms around Seungkwan’s figure, and Seungkwan reciprocates the hug. “We should get to that second kiss…” Seungkwan’s laugh bellows behind him. It was at this moment when Hansol noticed the time on his watch. “WE’RE LATE FOR CLASS!”

Seungkwan sadly unwraps himself from Hansol’s embrace. “Seriously?”

“Unfortunately. I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Text me!” Seungkwan huffs and starts to make his way to his building, but something pops into Hansol’s head.

“Wait!” Hansol catches up to him and cradles Seungkwan’s head before leaving a quick peck on the latter’s forehead. “See ya, Seungkwan.” 

He then rushes off towards his building, and it doesn’t take long for him to hear, “HANSOL!!!” echoing behind him like the most harmonious orchestra in the universe.

When Hansol arrives three minutes late to his lecture, his heart’s overflowing with love, and he’s never been happier.

* * *

As he walks behind Wonwoo, Jihoon can’t help but stare at him. 

Wonwoo’s party seemed so long ago, but who knew that Jihoon’s view on things could change so drastically after breaking one of Wonwoo’s things? The real question is, where did Wonwoo get that vial from? Was he also a part of this whole reincarnation scheme with Hansol and Seungkwan? Is he another one of Minghao’s ‘henchmen’, to say the least?

“How do you even know Hansol has the right clothes?” Jihoon casually asks, hoping to stray from his wandering thoughts.

“I know his style, more or less.” Wonwoo muses. “He’s got a style that would definitely match the music video’s vibe.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Jihoon did deserve to have an open say on things. After all, it was his music that was going to be used for Wonwoo’s music video assignment. He might as well help him get the best marks he can. “Where is Hansol, anyway?”

“I think he’s out to watch a demonstration for one of his classes. I still managed to swipe the key from him before he left.” Wonwoo takes out a simple key and proceeds to unlock Hansol’s dorm room successfully. 

When Jihoon enters with Wonwoo, his eyes bear witness to a somewhat neat room. Hansol only had two posters up on his wall, and the belongings on his desk were reduced to a minimum. Wonwoo’s main target was the tall brown closet right beside Hansol’s bed, so it didn’t take long for him to yank its doors open. “Let’s see what we’ve got here…”

While Wonwoo busies himself with the clothes, Jihoon leans against the wall and waits for his friend to finish. Before he could put on some music to fill the air, he noticed something peculiar about something on Hansol’s table. Near the window, a small Mason jar of roses sat on the wood, and the roses also had some type of fruit attached to them. A piece of twine was wrapped around the lid, and a small tag was attached to the side. 

‘Boo Seungkwan’ was the name on the tag.

Since Wonwoo wasn’t asking for his help anytime soon, Jihoon pulls out his phone and opens up the group chat he was sharing between himself, Seokmin, and Minghao:

**Jihoon**

um, seokmin?

_ Image attached _

isn’t this the thing you were talking about in your recent vision?

**Seokmin**

omg iT IS

HOW DID YOU FIND IT

**Jihoon**

wonwoo and i are visiting hansol’s dorm for getting clothes.

you sure this is what you saw?

i don’t remember roses having fruit…

**Minghao**

Roses have ‘rose hips,’ which provide not only a good source of Vitamin C, but also boosts your health and immunity.

Back in the village, broken-hearted lovers would consume these to heal themselves.

**Jihoon**

huh. that’s something.

so is it safe to say that hansol and seungkwan are basically a thing now?

**Seokmin**

the thing i saw in my vision

it included seungkwan giving this to hansol

and they seemed really happy???

but we can’t jump to conclusions

**Minghao**

I was restless last night; the stars told me that Hyeongi’s and Jaesang’s souls were going to reunite soon.

I’m not sure what exactly happened, but I’m confident that Hansol and Seungkwan have greatly improved their relationship recently. 

**Jihoon**

does that mean that something bad will happen to them soon?

**Seokmin**

RIGHT

minghao you told us that we got these powers so that we can help hansol and seungkwan!

i really hope nothing bad happens to them

**Minghao**

I’m not sure what the stars’ approach will be just yet.

The stars were angry when the love between Hyeongi and Jaesang was threatened.

Do any of you know of something (or someone) that could potentially threaten Hansol and Seungkwan’s relationship?

**Seokmin**

nope

**Jihoon**

well, hansol is very popular on campus

i’m sure there’s some people who like him…

...maybe there might be some who won’t appreciate him dating seungkwan.

**Seokmin**

wouldn’t it be best to wait and see until they go public

we might be wrong in thinking that they’ve gotten together already

**Minghao**

Maybe so.

Keep watch of the situation for now.

And Jihoon, you haven’t had any visions of the past lately?

**Jihoon**

nope.

why should my visions matter?

don’t you already know everything?

**Minghao**

Although I was the oracle, I couldn’t see  _ everything _ that went on in the village.

The stars have allowed you to tap into Hyeongi’s and Jaesang’s memories from the past.

You can obtain a more nuanced view of the details I’ve already given to you and Seokmin.

The visions you receive will have been given to you by the stars with the right timing.

**Jihoon**

fair enough.

we’ll be careful.

* * *

“Gosh, I wish I had Seungkwan’s abilities. I can’t take care of a plant at ALL.”

“Why’d you even join this course in the first place, anyway?”

It was a random occurrence for Jisoo to stumble upon two of Seungkwan’s classmates talking about Seungkwan. He’d been listening in to see whether they were talking badly about Seungkwan, but for the time being, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

“You know why.”

“Oh, yes, your farmer dreams are still alive and thriving, huh?”

“I don’t need your sass.”

Jisoo maintains a safe distance between the two other boys before listening in once more.

“Anyways, what Seungkwan does shouldn’t matter. He cultivated  _ roses _ , of all the things. Farmers don’t cultivate roses; they cultivate crops.”

“AH!” the boy on the left exclaims. “That reminds me! I think I saw Hansol carrying his jar of roses.”

“Hansol Chwe? That construction dude?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay. So what if he carries some flowers?"

“Sana’s been talking about how much she wanted to get with Hansol, but if he turns out to be gay for Seungkwan, he’s gonna break a lot of hearts.”

“Then leave them be, for goodness’ sake. Plus, you don’t know for sure whether they’re actually together. Hansol could’ve been keeping that jar for Seungkwan or something.”

“I hope he and Seungkwan can get together. That would mean I have a better chance of getting Sana to notice me.”

“As if she would ever see you that way!”

Not so long ago, Jisoo had discovered Chan’s crush on Hansol and understood how devastated the younger had been when he’d seen Hansol and Seungkwan together at Wonwoo’s. At this point, there was a high chance that the two of them probably liked each other. He knew how close they had become in recent times.

He could only imagine how Chan would feel if he finds out that Hansol is actually dating Seungkwan.

As Jisoo continues walking, he almost manages to run into someone around the corner. “Whoa. Sorry there.”

“Ah.” Speak of the devil. Chan, wiping the remains of a dejected expression of his face. “Hey, Jisoo. Were you heading to class?”

“Nah. One of my professors just asked for my help with something. What are you up to?”

Chan shrugs. “I was on my way to find Hansol. Our ‘Toosie Slide’ cover got over a million views in just two days…” 

“Congratulations! Although I really shouldn’t be surprised. It was only a matter of time before the world discovered your sheer talent.”

“Ah, you're so kind. But yeah.” Chan flashes him a pleasant grin. “Do you know where I can find Hansol?”

“Have you tried calling him?”

“I have, but he hasn’t been picking up. Maybe he’s in class…”

“Probably.” Jisoo, wanting to take Chan’s mind off of what both of them overheard, suddenly gets an idea. “How free are you right now?”

“Pretty free. Why?”

“Wanna help me lug heavy equipment from one building to another?”

“Nope!” Chan starts to back away. “I’m not giving myself up to manual labor!”

“Ah, is that so?” Jisoo pretends to look disappointed. “It’s a shame you can’t put those good dancing muscles to use...what if I break my back or something? You know how weak I am…”

“Jisoo, I’ve seen your arms. How dare you lie to me.” Chan hangs his head. “Fine, I’ll help you out. But you gotta pay me back.”

“In what?”

“Frozen yogurt.”

“Of all the things…”

“Bye, Ji-”

“ _ FINE. _ ”

With Chan’s hearty laugh echoing in the air, the two of them walk together to complete the task given by Jisoo’s professor.

Jisoo can’t help but walk with a spring in his step.

If there’s one thing he knows for certain, he never wants Chan to be sad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About time!
> 
> Edit 02-08-20: Due to personal reasons, the next chapter will be delayed until next week.


	10. Ebb and Flow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happiness colors Hansol and Seungkwan, and Seungcheol proposes a camping trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...yes, I know how late I am on this chapter. Sorry for the delay! 
> 
> Even though I was busy during my time off, I also got a chance to rework a part of this fic into something more feasible. There's a possibility this fic may have increased by one chapter. But we'll see.
> 
> Thanks for waiting! Here's the chapter <3

If a fly were to land on Mingyu’s face right now, he wouldn’t notice it at all.

The sharp lines of his vision blur at the edges as his body cries out for rest. It’s been a solid two hours since he, Soonyoung, Seungcheol, and Jun got together to work on their latest assignments. Wonwoo showed up not long after when he’d seen them through the window of the niche cafe. 

“You alive, Mingyu?” Jun waves his hand over Mingyu’s face. The latter, absentmindedly staring at the ceiling, had decided to take a break from the screen of his laptop by slumping himself over the back of his chair.

“Bold of you to assume I haven’t died on the inside yet.” Mingyu willingly brings himself to an upright position as he works out the kinks in his back. “Wonwoo~ Can’t you hold another party again? Just this once? We’re not the only ones dying, you know~”

Wonwoo levels him with a stare that could paralyze an entire population. “No. I’m already busting my ass over this music video for class.” Plus, during his last party, the vial he’d forgotten to return to Mama Jeon had been shattered, leaving him to avoid his grandmother’s house for a while. The guilt bothered him from time to time, but he hoped that Mama Jeon wouldn’t notice the missing object. 

Seungcheol, initially silent from being absorbed in his work, finally speaks up, imparting the most rational idea shared among the five of them for today. “Why don’t we go somewhere over the weekend?”

“The five of us?” Soonyoung asks for clarification, even stopping his gimmick of balancing a pencil on his nose. 

“No, all twelve of us. It’s been a busy period as we’ve been drowning in lots of work, but I think we can afford to unwind for a couple of days in the great outdoors.”

Mingyu visibly brightens at the idea. “Have I ever told you how grateful I am for your brain cells despite your old age?”

“Hey!” Seungcheol pouts. “I’m not that old.”

“Nevertheless,” Jun interrupts before they could quibble any further, “I think that’s great. But where would we go? And if we wanted to stay overnight in another city, we should’ve booked our hotel much earlier.”

“Staying in a city? No--I was thinking about camping. Y’know, with s’mores, a campfire, and just lots of fun. Maybe we could even find a river to go swimming in!”

“PLEASE.” Soonyoung begs, suddenly energized as the idea of camping becomes more feasible. “The weather’s perfect for this thing! We could go next weekend!”

“We should probably ask the others first…” Seungcheol suggests, but Mingyu’s already searching for campgrounds on his laptop, and Soonyoung’s listing off different recipes for s’mores that he memorized off of Pinterest. 

For Seungcheol, it would be nice if his idea could come to fruition--it would especially take Chan’s mind off of Hansol. Seungcheol hasn’t told anyone, not even Jeonghan and Joshua, about the conversation he had with Seungkwan. He believes Chan deserved to know the truth by discovering it himself; Seungcheol couldn’t bear breaking such news to someone who happily wore his heart upon his sleeve.

The only thing he could do for Chan was make him relax for a bit before the inevitable happened.

* * *

Seungkwan believes that his relationship with Hansol is really working.

After they’d talked things through, Hansol was adamant on taking Seungkwan out on a date. It doesn’t come as a surprise for their first date to be on the day after. 

Predictably, things began awkwardly. Now that they were seeing each other in a new light, tinted with the heart-fluttering aspect of _romance_ \--Seungkwan didn’t realize how much pressure there was in maintaining a relationship. He originally didn’t have any worries; with Hansol’s understanding personality, Seungkwan was eternally grateful to have gotten together with such a precious human being. 

Undeniably, there was a pressure to be the best boyfriend in the world for the most perfect human being that’s ever existed.

The restaurant Hansol had taken them to was one they weren’t familiar with. With his back ramrod straight and a desire to please fueling his actions, Seungkwan did his best to make Hansol happy. The date had been going well, and easy small talk was exchanged across the table.

Then the food arrived.

When the first bite of his ‘beef tartare’ reached his mouth, Seungkwan had to summon as much willpower as possible to prevent himself from vomiting at that moment. Hansol, being observative as always, was cued into Seungkwan’s displeasure. “Are you okay?!”

Seungkwan forced himself to swallow down that first bite no matter how much his body wanted to reject it. “I’m...fine…” He cleared his throat. “Maybe you should try yours…”

Albeit a bit puzzled at Seungkwan’s reaction, Hansol quickly grabbed a bite of his salmon. “Oh my-” His face pinched into something indescribable as his taste buds exploded in protest. “What IS this?! It tastes awful!”

Seungkwan couldn’t repress the laugh that bubbled within him upon seeing Hansol’s face from disgust. “Why did you bring us here in the first place?!” he breathed in-between laughs. Although he knew the two of them were being obnoxiously loud to the other customers, Seungkwan couldn’t help but revel in the hilarity of their current circumstances.

“I wanted to impress you!” Hansol revealed, and Seungkwan’s laughter simmered into a warm flush across his face.

After paying the bill, they end up eating at a street food stand that had _much_ better food than earlier. “You really didn’t have to try so hard, Hansol,” Seungkwan reassures him.

“I know.” Hansol’s eyes glinted with the luster of settling into a relationship. “But I feel like I could say the same thing to you. You were acting differently earlier.”

“I may have been a bit nervous.”

“A bit?”

“And maybe I tried to impress you, too…”

“Wha-” Hansol stopped, and his laughter sounded like a calming brook to Seungkwan’s ears. Seungkwan was enveloped in a warm hug seconds later. 

“We’re both idiots, aren’t we?” Seungkwan deadpanned.

“Yep.” 

Honestly, they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Their love for each other came naturally to the point where it sometimes shocked Seungkwan. He didn’t protest--instead, he took Hansol’s love wholeheartedly and reflected it to the best of his abilities. Whether it be through shared kisses before classes or bringing takeout to each other’s dorms, Hansol and Seungkwan embodied love in even the minutest of gestures.

Now, on their second date, things were laid-back and tranquil between the two of them. After Seungkwan became hot-headed from competing against Hansol in an arcade-wide duel, they’d decided to cool down with a hearty dinner at the nearest barbecue place where they would talk endlessly. Seungkwan could be content with listening to Hansol’s voice for the rest of his life.

As they ate ice cream in the park an hour later, Hansol sheepishly smiles at Seungkwan. “What is it?” Seungkwan blinks owlishly. “Do I have ice cream all over my face?” 

Hansol faces forward again, not wanting Seungkwan to catch onto his blush. “I’m happy you’re happy, that’s all. I’ve seen you working hard recently, so I figured this would help you destress a little.”

Seungkwan gasps. “But what about you?! It’s been hell for everyone these past couple of days!”

“Seungkwan.” Hansol stops and fully turns to Seungkwan. “My worries go away every time I’m with you. Whether we’re on a date or just hanging out…” He coughs once. “...you’re my vitamin, no matter what.”

Seungkwan gapes, and his heart’s flowing with love uncontrollably. “Ah, that was really cheesy, wasn’t it?” Hansol chuckles shyly.

Seungkwan groans. “Why did we have to get ice cream when I could be kissing you instead~?” 

“You could still kiss me, you know. Why does ice cream have to stop us?” Hansol devilishly smirks as he eyes Seungkwan’s ice cream. “We can always make a swirl.”

In a heartbeat, Seungkwan grabs onto Hansol’s collar with one hand and brings their lips together. Indeed, the taste of Hansol’s vanilla ice cream mixing in with his chocolate proved to be a taste Seungkwan could get addicted to.

When they pull away, Hansol’s licking his lips, and Seungkwan nearly dies. However, he then notices Hansol’s staring at some point in the distance behind him, and turns around to see what he was seeing.

Before he could fully turn around, Hansol captures his attention once more. “Maybe we should get strawberry ice cream to make it a whole Neapolitan…”

“HANSOL!” Seungkwan screeches as if he’s been scandalized, and Hansol just merely laughs.

Tonight, the stars glimmer with a calmness and joy that frame the perfect ambiance for their date.

Nothing could tarnish their time together.

* * *

With his heart all the way up in his throat, Jihoon crouches to securely hide himself. He nearly got caught when Hansol had stared in his direction for a suspiciously long time--actually, Jihoon’s on the verge of believing that Hansol’s already caught on to his antics.

Jihoon wasn’t the only one Hansol had to worry about. Around three days ago, when Seungkwan was in the studio to help him record something, Jihoon noticed that the younger was brighter than usual. It showed in his performance and in the energy he brought to a song that’s actually quite melancholy.

_“Something good happen recently?” Jihoon pops the question, and Seungkwan immediately reddens._

_He tries to play off the embarrassment. “Ah, it’s really nothing big…”_

_“Seems big enough for you to sing happily in a song about fear.”_

_“Cut me some slack here~!” Seungkwan begs as he clutches his headphones. “I still can’t believe I’m dating someone I’ve been crushing on for a long time now!”_

_“Oh, wow.” Jihoon feigns surprise, but his heart nearly goes into cardiac arrest. “Who’s your lucky man?”_

_“Hansol!” At Seungkwan’s answer, Jihoon’s eyebrows jump to his hairline._

With that admission loud and clear, after recording, Jihoon took to the group chat and updated Seokmin and Minghao with the news. Of course, they were extremely happy to hear that Hansol and Seungkwan had gotten together; Seokmin’s always been a hopeless romantic, and Minghao was certainly proud to see a previously strong relationship rediscovered in this era.

Nevertheless, the looming threat to their relationship still hung over their heads. As a result, Minghao ordered Jihoon and Seokmin to watch over them.

_“Is that really necessary?” Seokmin’s face contorts in confusion. “I haven’t gotten any visions of them dying in the near future…”_

_“The stars have asked me to give you this important job.” Minghao states, delicately sipping from his teacup._

And with any mention of the stars, Jihoon and Seokmin had promptly stayed quiet, knowing better than to question whatever godly powers the celestial beings held in their world.

Even though Jihoon was initially against it, Seokmin had volunteered to watch over Hansol and Seungkwan on their first date. Somehow, he’d managed to stay hidden as he watched the two enjoy themselves throughout the night. With guidance from Minghao’s connection to the stars, Jihoon and Seokmin knew when and where they were going out on dates.

The entire ordeal was dubious at best, but Jihoon wasn’t going to let any of his friends get hurt, even if it meant privately intruding them on their second date.

After seeing the two of them separate to head to their respective dorm buildings, Jihoon finally leaves them alone and starts heading for the studio. Five minutes before his arrival, his phone beeps with a new notification, sent from the chat he had with his eleven other close friends. Earlier, Seungcheol had proposed a night of camping over the weekend. More people must’ve responded to him.

**GROUP:** **the male counterpart of loona**

**boohoohoos**

****

don’t we look cute together~? @verNOn

**verNOn**

y r u not smiling :(

**boohoohoos**

i wanted to look cool 😎

**junday_morning**

oooooo

are you guys dating or somethingggg 😏

**jeongha_ha_han**

With the amount of work all of us have been getting?

nOPE

**verNOn**

but we are tho??? 🤔

**_SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE TYPING…_ **

_That’s one way to make an announcement._ Jihoon chuckles. At least everyone else knows so they can celebrate the newlyweds.

****

**_well, hansol is very popular on campus_ **

**_i’m sure there’s some people who like him..._ **

**_...maybe there might be some who won’t appreciate him dating Seungkwan._ **

****

Jihoon freezes mid-step and pales. 

As he lays his eyes upon the screen where his group chat window was still open, a dangerous though rooted itself into his mind.

****

_Could someone in the friend group be a threat to Hansol and Seungkwan?_


	11. Bite Your Tongue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seokmin gets lost in his thoughts, and Chan gets lost in denial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder that italicized text = flashbacks

As much as he loves seeing two of his good friends being affectionate with each other, Seokmin can’t help but think about other things.

At this point, he’s lost count of the dates Hansol and Seungkwan have been on so far. They’ve been naturally gravitating towards each other to the point where Seokmin can’t tell whether they’re on a date or not. He thinks that’s the true power of having a love blessed by the stars.

Despite their prospering love, Seokmin ponders on the most recent conversation he’s had with Jihoon and Minghao.

_ “You’re kidding me.” A startled Seokmin rakes a restless hand through his hair. “How could you possibly think that one of us could be the so-called ‘threat’ to Hansol and Seungkwan?!” _

_ “His theory could potentially be sound,” Minghao rebuts. _

_ “But they’re our friends, for goodness’ sake!” _

_ “Did you really think Hansol and Seungkwan were the only ones who had past lives?” another voice pipes up, and he sees Jun calmly striding into the study. “Everyone’s on some part of the cycle when it comes to reincarnation.” _

_ “Exactly.” Minghao straightens his back, working out the slight kinks in his shoulders. “For instance, Jun is on his second cycle.” _

_ “When was your first?” Jihoon asks Jun. _

_ “My first life was spent as an assistant to the oracle in the Village of Rose Petals.”  _

_ After Jun’s admission, Seokmin gasps in amazement. “So you guys worked together in your past lives…”  _

_ “More or less,” Jun breathes, sending over a knowing smirk in Minghao’s direction. _

_ “Do you know what cycle I’m on?” Seokmin wonders. Maybe he was a military general in the past, or a righteous king who was loved by his followers… _

_ “This life is your first cycle,” Minghao states, and Jihoon cackles at the sight of Seokmin’s dejected aura. “But we have more pressing matters to get to. If what Jihoon says is true, then there is a possibility that the threat might come sooner than later. I recently received a message from the stars that may further prove Jihoon’s theory.” _

_ “What is it?” Jihoon’s shoulders tense in anticipation, and even Seokmin’s usual bubbly aura has dampened. _

_ “Someone did something to Hyeongi and Jaesang to evoke the stars’ wrath that night.” Minghao takes off his black glasses, revealing his pale-blue irises. If Minghao was one to show his emotions, he would be silently shedding diamond tears. “The stars told me that the Great Comet occurred to rid the world of the sinner who dared to question the nature of everlasting love. But the damage incurred…” He slips on his glasses again, and Seokmin almost catches a fire of fury in his gaze before it was obscured again by his opaque lenses. “This person must have committed a grave sin to cause the massacre of an entire village.” _

_ Beats of silence fall turbulently over the four men in the study. Minghao’s words confirmed Jihoon’s theory--and now, they knew it was a person who was responsible for wreaking havoc in the past. If this person was reincarnated in this life, anyone could be a threat to Hansol and Seungkwan. _

_ Even their friends. _

Since then, Jihoon and Seokmin have been fervently discussing the threat. Seokmin holds conviction in thinking the threat is not one of their friends; to his knowledge, he wasn’t aware of anyone who liked Hansol or Seungkwan. Jihoon argued for the opposite.

_ “In any case, we need to consider all possibilities. Our biggest threat could be right under our noses.” _

But Seokmin doesn’t want to believe it.

He can’t possibly see any one of their friends in the same hostile light Minghao had portrayed the sinner in.  Why did things have to get so complicated?

Lost in thought, Seokmin fails to notice the figure approaching him, and he beats back into reality only to find himself being forcibly dragged outside the diner where Hansol and Seungkwan’s date took place. As words escape him and his feet scrape the damp pavement, he’s slammed against the wall, and raging fingers wrap around his throat.

Black spots prickle at Seokmin’s vision as he struggles to see the face of his assailant. “Seokmin?” a familiar voice registers through his ears, and the grip on his throat almost loosens. 

He forces his eyes open only to see  _ Hansol _ choking him against the wall. “Han-!” 

Hansol tightens his grip on Seokmin's throat again. “Why have you been spying on Seungkwan and I recently?”

“Let…go...” With his lack of muscle strength, Seokmin’s almost prepared to pass out from the asphyxiation until Hansol completely lets go of him, leaving Seokmin to heave in the oxygen he’s lost. 

Hansol gives him three seconds before he poses his question again. “Explain yourself. Why have you been spying on Seungkwan and I recently?”

As Seokmin regains his lung capacity, he finally looks into Hansol’s eyes, set aflame with confusion and stressful ire. How was Seokmin supposed to explain his behavior without revealing the truth? 

Hansol scoffs. “You’re giving me an explanation later. Get out of here for now, and stay away from us.” With one last look of disgust, Hansol leaves Seokmin in the alley and makes his way back into the restaurant. 

Seokmin tries not to beat himself up as he dials Minghao’s number. “What is it?” Minghao’s voice comes through on the second ring.

“It’s Hansol. He knows we’ve been watching him.” 

He doesn’t want to think about the sigh on the other end of the call. “No matter the excuse you give, Hansol won’t believe you unless it’s the truth.”

Seokmin gasps. “You can’t be serious! How’s he gonna believe us?”

“You’ll know what to say,” Minghao huffs, and hangs up without letting Seokmin edge in another word. 

Cursing himself, Seokmin lifts up his black hood and flees from the restaurant as he tries to figure out what he should do.

* * *

Jihoon’s tempted to throw Seokmin into the nearest trash bin.

It’s the day after Seokmin’s blown their cover, and Jihoon would never expect to come before Hansol in such a situation. He really shouldn’t be surprised. Considering Seokmin, this was bound to happen one way or another. 

Now that it’s actually happening, however, Jihoon honestly has no way of explaining things. “Jihoon, why are you here?” Hansol asks, perturbed by the presence of an extra person. Someone’s phone vibrates in the background, but the conversation is too important to interrupt.

“He’s involved with this, too,” Seokmin nervously explains, and almost hides behind the tree they were currently at.

“What? Have you also been spying on us?” With Jihoon’s silence, Hansol stands up in frustration, appalled at his two friends. “What is  _ wrong  _ with you guys?”

“We can explain!” Jihoon quickly reassures him, and Hansol’s fury dims slightly. With a stupefied expression, Seokmin peers at him from beside Jihoon. He probably also doesn’t know how to explain things to Hansol. Why would anyone believe them, anyway?

However, when Jihoon heard Minghao’s suggestion to tell the truth, he knew that was the final answer.

After properly sitting Hansol down, with one glance towards each other, Jihoon and Seokmin pattern out the story the stars have laid out. 

Hansol never would have expected the narrative the two of them weaved for him; he never expected to hear about a village with the scent of roses, or the raw and forgiving love between two young men. Forgetting about his anger, Hansol’s emotions mirrored the gradually changing tone Jihoon and Seokmin led throughout their explanation. His eyes shined with admiration upon hearing Hyeongi and Jaesang’s promise to each other at the Festival of Stars, but they quickly darkened once the Great Comet made its entrance into the story. 

Despite being entertained by their story, Hansol no longer knew what to think of his two friends before him. ‘How could they have spun such a ridiculous tale?’ was a popular question ready to burst at the seams. Even so, with one glance at their faces, Hansol somehow knew they weren’t lying about what they’ve told him, and that the events they’ve depicted did occur in the past many years ago.

But there was still one part of him who strongly believed in rationality. “That’s a cool story and all, but how is that relevant to you guys stalking Seungkwan and I for the past...dates?”

“Hansol,” Jihoon levels him with a serious look, “you’re the reincarnation of Jaesang, and Seungkwan’s the reincarnation of Hyeongi.” 

“I know it may sound really crazy, and you have every reason to not believe us,” Seokmin interjects, “but we’ve only been watching you guys to protect you.”

“Protect us from what?” Hansol grew more irritated by the second. “It’s not like a comet’s gonna kill us all soon!” Then again, Hansol didn’t study the stars or outer space.

Jihoon gulps before continuing. “Hansol, there’s no comet threatening you. Someone in the past wanted to ruin your relationship to the point where it angered the stars.”

“Yeah, you and Seungkwan loved each other so much in the past. The stars really liked it and decided to bless your love forever! So imagine having one of your favorite relationships get ruined by someone else." Seokmin rattles on, but he tries not to cringe at how outrageous he sounds.

“Someone…” Hansol widens his eyes all of a sudden when he recalls something. 

_ “During that kiss, something really weird happened. Suddenly, right before my eyes, I saw this horrible thing. I saw a hand, and it was covered in blood. As if someone got really hurt. I really tried not to overthink it.” _

“Someone?” Jihoon parrots to break Hansol out of his small stupor.

Hansol shakes his head as an oncoming wave of pain starts to overwhelm his head. “Listen, guys, I’ll just forgive you for now. But please don’t stalk either me or Seungkwan again--don’t stalk us on our dates,  _ period. _ ”

“Don’t you believe us?” Seokmin pleads for an answer, but Hansol’s face contorts in pain when a sharp pain shoots through his head. “Hansol! What’s wrong?”

“Hansol!” Jihoon cries, and it’s the last thing Hansol hears before collapsing on the park bench.

A few miles away in a grand manor, Minghao jerks in his seat, and his irises glow with the yellow of the burning sun. Sitting upright, he heeds the following message from the stars:

**_Soon on a morn, without a doubt_ **

**_The lovers’ memories will once more sprout_ **

* * *

Focus.

_ Focus. _

**_Focus._ **

The silky touches of Avicii’s “Feeling Good” graze his ears as Chan tries to maintain his focus on perfecting his choreography. After the success of his cover of “Toosie Slide” with Hansol, he’s been working extra hard to make his next release more remarkable than the last. 

Despite his ambition, the only thing coursing through Chan’s veins was desperation and a yearning to get lost in his own movements.

Ever since he discovered that Hansol was dating Seungkwan, Chan hasn’t been himself. He’s tried to bear it as much as possible, pretending to the world that the news didn’t just shake his heart in the worst possible way. With his normal, carefree smile always in action, most people couldn’t tell how fazed he truly was.

Of course, ‘most people’ didn’t include Jeonghan, who was the first person he ran to after finding out about Hansol and Seungkwan. On that day, Chan spent most of his time with Jeonghan by eating ice cream and watching low-rated movies as a coping mechanism. He had also slept a lot as he sunk his claws deep into denial, hoping that a good nap could make him forget everything.

Unfortunately, Hansol and Seungkwan’s new relationship continues to haunt him to this day, and he’s been urging himself to take his mind off of it. What better way to do that than with the one passion that would never betray him?

Chan doesn’t realize the music’s already stopped until he refocuses his senses. Slumping against the wall mirror, he slides down until he’s sitting on the floor, and he brings his knees to his chest. “Damn it…” He’s sweating a lot from the exhaustion, and he can no longer tell the difference between his tears and his perspiration. 

“Damn it!” The memories rush into his head, dizzying him. He recalls seeing them at Wonwoo’s party, especially during that time where they ran away together into the woods. It must’ve started then. The tears become more noticeable now, and Chan balls himself up, hiding his head so no one could see him crying if they passed the door.

Nevertheless, a shadow in front of the practice room door flees towards the building’s exit, and Chan unfortunately fails to notice it.


	12. Blazing Into the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys go on a camping trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've already started uni, but there's only a small number of chapters left. Let's go!!

With the sun directly above their heads and the sky’s vibrant blue calling forth a good journey, Saturday finds the young men embarking on their trip to the campground.

The morning was abuzz with lively excitement amongst the group--at least, that’s what Seokmin could glean from the rapidly sent texts in their group chat. Of course, Seokmin himself is also elated to go on this trip; it felt nice to take a small break from the responsibilities of protecting Hansol and Seungkwan. Sure, he was still going to be with them--and therefore will still be able to watch over them--but he could feel the heart-racing pressure lifting off of him as he thought about all the fun they were going to have.

So now, fifteen minutes after he departed with Wonwoo at the driver’s seat and Jihoon and Jun as his fellow passengers, Seokmin can’t help but sing along to the radio. Seungcheol’s camping idea was coming true, and Seokmin was grateful to the eldest for giving him a way to unwind.

After Seokmin serenades his friends with his lovely voice for a while, he starts to feel drowsy. Jun and Jihoon are already sleeping, anyway, leaving Wonwoo to put on Stella Jang for an even more peaceful journey to the campground. It took two to three hours to get there from Paion University, so everyone had prepared themselves for the lengthy trip ahead. Seokmin could already imagine Soonyoung finishing half of his snacks five minutes into the drive.

Seokmin then gives himself over to sleep, but then he wakes up to a night sky.

There’s an uneasy breeze making the hairs on his neck stand, and his feet remain unstable on uneven rock. The moon is unusually bright tonight, and the stars seem to gleam as if they want Seokmin to know they’re watching. He knows the body he possesses is not his, and he’s aware that he’s stuck in another future vision. It’s been a while since the last one.

Before Seokmin was a height that would paralyze him in real life. He saw nothing but a vast canopy of trees that barely covered the forest floor, and he thinks he could see the mountains’ shadows loom in the distance. 

He then feels the color red all over himself.

It snakes up his conscience and wrings his throat with a bile that burns with outrage. There’s a purpose behind his anger, and it’s more profound than whatever superficial reason Seokmin could detect. His vision blurs with his erratic emotions, and he suddenly notices the figure before him. Taking large but brusque strides, Seokmin grips the figure’s collar, and it is then when he notices he’s holding onto Hansol.

Hansol’s beautiful eyes are now tainted with the despair of panic, and he struggles to get Seokmin’s hands off of him. But Seokmin doesn’t recognize his hands; he doesn’t recognize the body he’s in.

With a muffled voice and a hot stream of tears painting his face, Seokmin forcibly releases Hansol. However, the force accidentally sends him flying backwards off the edge of the cliff, and he watches Hansol plummet to his imminent doom.

What Seokmin detects in his heart has never been murkier, and when he looks to the nighttime stars, their light submerges him, and he jerks back to reality. The sweat beading the sides of his head brings him down to earth, and he’s panting heavily. It takes him a few seconds to realize they’ve stopped at a nearby gas station, and his car door is open to allow Wonwoo a good look at him. “Seokmin! Are you okay?” 

Seokmin blinks twice to make sure he’s properly seeing Wonwoo. “W-What happened?” he asks, trying to catch his breath from what he just saw.

“I should be asking you that. You were sleeping well one second, and when I came back from filling up the gas, you’re twitching in your sleep. Did you have a nightmare or something?”

He can’t tell Wonwoo about what he just saw. “Yeah. It felt like a nightmare. But I don’t really remember it--I just know it scared me a lot.”

Wonwoo sighs and levels him with a look of pity. “I get that. Take it easy, okay? Do you need anything from the store over there? Jun and Jihoon are over the--ah, Jihoon’s coming back. Maybe I can get Jun to buy some water for you?”

“Water would be nice,” Seokmin ultimately decides, and Wonwoo’s already dialing Jun.

Jihoon slides into the back seat beside Seokmin, and Seokmin doesn’t miss how the older eyes him up and down. “What happened to you?” he demands.

Instead of providing him with a verbal response, Seokmin takes out his phone and opens up the group chat he has with Jihoon and Minghao:

**Seokmin**

guys

i just had a future vision

After Jihoon reads the message, his eyes widen with fear.

**Jihoon**

we’ll talk about this later.

* * *

Come afternoon, the sun has never been more present in Seungcheol’s life, and he’s sure he’ll get the tan to prove it.

After their arrival at the campground, they had quickly gotten to work setting up their tents and placing their stuff in the right places. With a couple of fishing poles and a more-than-enough supply of bait, half of the group went down to the nearest river to catch tonight’s dinner while the other half stayed behind at the campground. 

Although they were supposed to be having fun, Seungcheol’s heart trembled with a plethora of thoughts.

He eyes Hansol and Seungkwan trying to catch some fish not far from him. Seeing the two finally together may have lifted some weight off of Seungcheol’s conscience--especially considering how smitten Seungkwan had been with Hansol even before they worked things out--but when his eyes shifted towards Chan, Seungcheol couldn’t help but frown. 

Seungcheol, being the empathetic actor, kept thinking about how torn Chan must have been right now. Being placed before your crush happily dating someone else other than you...maybe Seungcheol’s idea for this camping trip didn’t turn out the way he expected it to. He was able to see how Chan was barely keeping it together; he could already imagine the many tears Chan would keep to himself in the cold of night.

Seungcheol’s worry for Chan becomes evident in the sigh he releases, and he turns his tired eyes to Jisoo, whose eyes were also fixed on Chan. “Jisoo.”

“Hmm?” Jisoo reorients himself to provide Seungcheol his undivided attention.

“I’m really worried about Chan. I thought this trip would also be a nice way for him to relax from his broken heart, but maybe this is just torture to him.” Seungcheol fiddles with his fishing rod absentmindedly as he gets lost in his thoughts about the younger.

“I’m sure you had good intentions in mind for him, Seungcheol,” Jisoo, ever the kind-hearted saint, reassures him, “but he was the one who decided to come with us in the first place. If he really didn’t want to come, he would’ve stayed at Paion.”

“I guess you’re right.” Simultaneously, they turn to look at Chan again, who was currently playing with Jun and Soonyoung in the river. “I just don’t want things to be weird in our whole group, you know?”

Jisoo nods. “I understand that. But I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“You really think so?” Seungcheol’s eyes plead for hope.

“I  _ know _ so.” Jisoo’s eyes soften when Chan’s ecstatic laughter, bringing smiles to Jun’s and Soonyoung’s faces, barrels through the air. Nevertheless, “Don’t worry about him. Let’s make some good memories instead.” 

“Yeah.” At that point, the sight of Hansol and Seungkwan just a few meters away from them catches Seungcheol’s eyes. “They really are happy with each other, huh?”

“Eh?” Jisoo follows Seungcheol’s line of vision and sees Hansol and Seungkwan. “I agree. They truly care for each other.” His eyes dart between the pair and Chan, and for a fleeting moment, Seungcheol thinks he could see Jisoo’s eyes harden. But the sun’s inching to scorch them, so Seungcheol can’t trust himself with the radiant sunlight.

The rest of the evening, however, continues without trouble.

When the fishing group comes back hauling a large bucket of cod fish, everyone rejoices, and the campfire blazes brilliantly to cook their harvest. Through the night, the stars watch over the twelve young men sharing stories across the fire, and they take each other back in time to reminisce on comedic anecdotes.

There were times the mood became mellower, allowing heartfelt confessions and an unburdening of life’s harsh realities. Despite the honesty and the closeness within the group, only the most skilled of eyes could see that there was so much left unshared, hidden from the ears of those who didn’t deserve to hear sacred secrets. 

Nevertheless, the twelve young men strip themselves of the world in favor of basking in each other’s companionship, and it’s the closest they can ever come to peace in a busy world such as theirs.

The stars could only guarantee it for so long.

* * *

(By late night, some have already retired to their tents, while others have gathered in smaller groups to continue their antics. 

Jihoon, Jun, and Seokmin had more pressing matters to deal with than an entertaining game of spin the bottle. “Who will take the first shift?” Seokmin asks. After fully conducting an analysis of Seokmin’s future vision from earlier, they decided to make up a plan to maintain night watch on the cliff’s edge. 

“I can go first,” Jun says, and when Jihoon realizes how long they would have to stay up, he takes the second shift as Seokmin had a fear of the dark. 

Somehow, later that night, Seokmin ends up sleeping peacefully, forgetting to change shifts with Jun as he contributes to the orchestra of soft snoring in the forest.)

* * *

It’s not uncommon for Hansol to be an early riser, but there are some days where he wishes he could properly sleep in. For instance, he has half a mind to groan when he notes his alertness, and when he checks his watch and sees 5:30, he mutters a curse under his breath. Sunday was the perfect day for rest, but it seems Hansol could never get some.

Carefully stepping out of his tent to not wake up anyone near him, he slips his bare feet into his sandals and pads towards the nearby plateau overlooking the forest canopy below. He knows he won’t fall since he’s still well away from the very edge, and so he takes his spot against an old stump. 

As it’s been a while since he hung out with the entire group, Hansol decided to let loose. He tried to not be too awkward with Jihoon and Seokmin; after hearing the things they’d said to him, Hansol had taken to avoiding them for a good amount of time, and he was pleased to see no one stalking his dates with Seungkwan. 

In addition, Hansol became scared after fainting that night. He was sure Jihoon and Seokmin had been shaken up as well.

_ As his eyes flutter open to the sight of familiar dorm walls, Hansol sees Seungkwan sitting across from him. “Hansol!” Seungkwan springs to life once he sees the younger awaken. Wrapping his arms around him, Hansol could hear Seungkwan heave a sigh of relief. “You’re awake! Gosh, you really scared me. Do you know how terrified I was to get that call from Seokmin?” _

_ Hansol slightly winces at the noise before asking his question. “What happened?” _

_ “Apparently you fainted--for whatever reason, even I have no clue!--when you were with Jihoon and Seokmin, so Seokmin called me to help you get to the hospital. Yeah, even though the hospital was pretty close, there’s no way someone like Jihoon could help Seokmin carry you, so that’s why I got called. And I almost fainted myself when I saw you practically dead on the pavement--” _

_ “--I’m not dead, though?” _

_ “--but luckily you kinda moved and seemed okay, so we thought it was best to take you back to your dorm. We had to call up Wonwoo to get his car, and presto! You’re back here. But I was so worried, Hansol. I thought you’d--” _

_ To stop his ramblings, Hansol used his gaining energy to place his hand around Seungkwan’s neck and pulled him down for a kiss. When they part, Seungkwan exhales shakily, and he can’t tell whether Hansol’s smirking or not. He probably was. “I’m sorry for worrying you,” Hansol apologizes, rubbing the nape of Seungkwan’s neck, “but I’m perfectly fine now.” _

_ Seungkwan’s blush leaks throughout the expanse of his face, and he huffs in fake indignance. “You better be! I don’t know what I would do without you.” To that, Hansol merely laughs, and Seungkwan can’t help but grin. _

Daringly, Hansol attempts to remember why he fainted in the first place. It had been something about what Seungkwan had told him--a vision of a bloody hand! Hansol pauses for a second to see whether he would faint again, but this time, he detects no incoming pain. So he thinks.

Hansol has the gall to approach Jihoon’s and Seokmin’s words once more. He’s somehow deduced that there was a connection between what Seungkwan had seen and the explanation his two friends had given him. Does that mean Seungkwan’s vision was a memory from a past long lost? Whose memory could Seungkwan have seen? For all Hansol knew, Seungkwan could’ve seen someone else’s hand--or worse, Seungkwan could’ve seen the memory unfold from his own perspective, and the bloodied hand he bore witness to could’ve been Hansol’s.

Hansol believes it’s okay to think about reincarnation. Could it really be true that he and Seungkwan were destined to be together, no matter the life or circumstance? If that were the case, then Hansol would’ve been extremely happy; to think that they’d loved each other that much to ask heavenly beings for their blessing--could Hansol truly believe in such a thing as true love?

He shakes his head. He doesn’t want to get his hopes up and let Jihoon and Seokmin get the best of him--for now, he’ll put all of his faith in making his relationship with Seungkwan work. To Hansol, being the cause of Seungkwan’s happiness was a reward he reveled in every day, and it’s a privilege he’s unwilling to give up.

Before he loses himself in another reverie, Hansol hears footsteps approaching, and he looks up at his new form of company for the morning. “Guess we woke up too early, huh?”

Coming closer, Jisoo warmly smiles at Hansol. “Guess so."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it may have felt a bit rushed, but i'm definitely editing this work when all the chapters are published!
> 
> side note: 😀


	13. A Breathtaking View

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hansol and Jisoo talk.

A calm dusk accompanies Hansol and Jisoo, but the stars were holding their breaths. The sun was already making its entrance towards the east, and it illuminated the sky with a myriad of colors. The two men mainly saw a navy blue dominate the world above them, with hints of rose quartz serenity closer to the rising sphere of flames.

Hansol can clearly hear his heartbeat, providing background music to the palpable silence he shares with Jisoo.

“What’s got you up so early?” the older asks first, settling his feet beside the stump. He pockets his hands as he takes in the dewy morning air.

Hansol just shrugs. “My body just decided that I’d gotten enough sleep. What about you?”

“Me?” Jisoo sighs. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I’ve been nursing a pretty bad headache since the campfire, and it hasn’t gone away yet.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Did you ask anyone for any medicine?”

“I did. No one had brought any--which, in hindsight, is kind of stupid, don’t you think?”

“Then again, have we ever been smart?” Hansol jests, and the two share a muffled chuckle so as to not wake up the others. 

“How’s Seungkwan?” The corners of Jisoo’s mouth raise. “Have you been well with him?”

Hansol smiles at the sound of Seungkwan’s name. “Jisoo…” He tries to search for the right words in his mind, but Hansol doesn’t think he’ll ever find the right words to describe his happiness with Seungkwan. “I’ve never been happier. Being with him...it just feels right, you know? Have you ever spent a short amount of time with someone only to realize that you would do anything to ensure their happiness?”

Jisoo hums, understanding more or less the sentiment Hansol speaks of. “I think I get what you mean.”

“Right? With Seungkwan, it just feels so natural to be with him. As if we were meant to be together this whole time.” Hansol looks away from Jisoo and faces the sky, losing himself in reverie.

“It’s felt natural to you, huh?” Jisoo scoffs, and Hansol detects a shift in the air between them. “Do you like it? Being blinded by love?”

Hansol listens to his heart beat twice before tentatively continuing the conversation. “What do you mean?”

This time, it’s Jisoo who shrugs. “It’s interesting how people can fall so hard for someone to the point where they lose all tact. You can get caught up with someone, revolving around them as if they’re your whole world, only to fail in realizing the damage you cause.”

“Damage?”

“Well, of course. With every relationship, there’s bound to be damage. Maybe two people in a relationship hurt each other. Or maybe a relationship in general hurts someone.”

Hansol stands up, finding the mood of their talk turning sour with every passing second. “Jisoo? What are you saying?”

Jisoo finally turns to him, and Hansol detects a fire he’s never seen in the older’s usual gentle eyes. “I don’t have to spell it out. It’s just really frustrating, that’s all. Conflicted in what to feel--happiness for one, or remorse for another. But something within me says I should be feeling the latter.” 

As he becomes more confused, Hansol notices Jisoo’s knuckles turning white. “Do you know how painful it was, Hansol? To be torn between two people? I really wanted to be happy for you. I know you and Seungkwan have been joined at the hip ever since we went stargazing that first time. But haven’t you realized how much pain you’ve caused with every interaction? With every gaze you sent Seungkwan?”

“Why should my love for Seungkwan trouble you?” Hansol pales when a ruthless thought slashes into his mind. “Do you like me?”

Jisoo’s unfazed by the question. “Oh, so now it’s your ‘love,’ I see! Is it really so easy to say? Love is not something to be reckoned with.”

“I know that. You think I’m just using that word for show? I’ve been having so much fun with Seungkwan being a large part of my life, so yeah, I’ll say it! I _love_ Seungkwan! What’s wrong with that?”

“Everything, Hansol! You’re so dense to everything around you now!” 

Hansol recoils slightly as he’s never heard Jisoo raise his voice at him, let alone _anyone_ , before. Jisoo’s eyes are startlingly awake with distress. “ _He_...he has such a large heart. He’s way too nice to even think about getting between you two. Why? Because _he cares for you that deeply._ He’s willing to take the brunt of it all, willing to see you being so infatuated with someone else even though he’s so heartbroken inside!” With a surprisingly painful grip, Jisoo grips Hansol’s right shoulder with one hand and points at him accusingly with the other. “Chan’s going to hell and back for you, and you’re just letting him suffer!”

“C-Chan?” The name hesitantly leaps off of Hansol’s tongue, and his heart clenches. “Chan likes me?”

“You idiot.” Jisoo pushes Hansol’s shoulder away-- _hard--_ and he, murmuring to himself, bows his head in disappointment. “Why am I even having this conversation with you? Nothing’s going to change in the end. It’s not like you can change your feelings so easily…”

Hansol’s still reeling from the bombshell Jisoo just dropped. “H-How was I supposed to know…?” He truly wasn’t aware of Chan’s feelings for him. He’s always treated him as the younger brother he never had, and he thought Chan was also enjoying the friendly affection Hansol so willingly gave. Was Hansol always that oblivious? 

With regards to him being oblivious, Hansol clearly didn’t notice Jisoo move in his peripheral vision. In seconds, Jisoo’s face is closer to his, and Hansol can feel his collar being tugged at with two hands. His heart breaks for a second time when he sees the tears painting Jisoo’s cheeks. “I’ve never been this disgusted with such a sorry excuse for a person.”

Before Hansol could even say anything in response, he’s finding himself pushed backwards, and he fails to find any ground behind him.

He’s falling.

  
  
  


Of course.

No wonder the wind was being louder than usual this morning.

  
  


He thinks he hears someone screaming.

* * *

The stars, however, were merciful this time. 

Minutes earlier, close to the beginning of Hansol and Jisoo’s conversation, one Kim Mingyu was snoozing peacefully amongst the rest of the young men. It would be known that his deep sleep almost matched the natural sounds of the forest, if it weren’t for his obnoxious snoring. His snoring howled like an untamed beast on a full moon, and it was almost enough to wake up someone sleeping near him. However, it was not sufficient. In order for them to deem their one chance of mercy, the stars whispered into Mingyu’s ears. 

In Mingyu’s mind, he was battling a fearsome being that somehow had all of its heads in the spitting image of one of his friends. Not wanting their annoying vitamin reminders to disturb him from his sleep, Mingyu used one of his enormous feet to kick at the heads with a pleading vigor, hoping that one of his attacks would silence the monster. Eventually, one of his kicks proved successful, and a head was eliminated from the raucous creature.

In reality, one Boo Seungkwan was rubbing his head--a victim of Mingyu’s powerful kick.

After being rudely awakened, Seungkwan attempts once more to find slumber, but the ache on top of his head was restless. Eventually, Seungkwan gave up and decided to completely awaken, choosing to stand up from his sleeping quarters in favor of walking out onto open ground. He doesn’t know what time it was, but he certainly knew that he could’ve caught up on a few more hours of sleep--the sun seemed barely visible on the horizon.

Once he registered the entirety of his surroundings, it was only then when Seungkwan noticed Jisoo and Hansol at the cliff’s edge. He first wonders what shenanigans they could’ve been up to, but then Hansol flies off the edge from Jisoo’s force, and Seungkwan’s heart drops to his stomach. 

**_“HANSOL!”_ **

His cry rouses the rest of the men awake, but Seungkwan has no time to consider anything else other than Hansol.

His untrained feet dash over to the edge where Jisoo still stood. Leaning over, Seungkwan prepares his heart for the worst, only to see Hansol barely hanging on a tree branch not so far down. “HANSOL!”

“Seungkwan…” The emotions on Hansol’s face dance with uncertainty, but his determined eyes fix on Seungkwan. 

“Don’t worry! Just--stay there! We’ll pull you up!” Seungkwan frantically turns to Jisoo, who’s now staring at his trembling hands as he sits on his knees. “JISOO! Help me pull Hansol up!” It takes Seungkwan a moment to notice the distraught state the older was in. “Jisoo...?”

“Seungkwan!” A voice calls from a short distance, and Seungkwan can see Seungcheol running towards him, with Soonyoung and Jeonghan not far behind him. “What happened?”

Seungkwan turns away from Jisoo to address the others. “Find a sturdy rope and get it here, _now!_ Hansol’s hanging on a branch!”

The panic shoots through everyone’s eyes, and Seungcheol hurriedly rushes to Seungkwan’s side while Soonyoung and Jeonghan rush back to camp to get some rope. Seungkwan believes he can see more figures up and about, which is good--he’ll need all the help he can get.

Seungcheol peers over and sees Hansol. “Shi--HANSOL! ARE YOU OKAY?!”

“Please get me out of here…” Hansol croaks weakly, and Seungkwan’s heart shatters from the lack of life in Hansol’s roughed voice.

With Jisoo still unmoving, Soonyoung and Jeonghan arrive with a strong rope found in the back of Seungcheol’s car, and Seungkwan can see some other people rushing to where he was. “Seokmin! Mingyu!”

“We’re here,” Jun’s voice pops out of nowhere, and Wonwoo materializes near Seokmin and Mingyu. 

While Soonyoung passed one end of the rope around the others, Seungcheol began to lower the other end down towards Hansol, who somehow managed to get his elbows over the branch. “Hansol, you need to hold on as tight as possible! We’re gonna pull you up, okay?” He then looks behind him to see the rope already fastened tightly onto the tree stump. 

Seungcheol moves, choosing to hold the rope at the back while anchoring himself to the stump. With the others lining up behind him, Seungkwan prepares himself to pull up Hansol. “YOU READY?”

With two strong tugs on the rope, the men at the top of the edge muster up all of the strength they could find. “PULL ME UP!” Hansol cries, and the first bits of work erupt. Little by little, the men pull up Hansol slowly, making sure he doesn’t fall. 

Seungkwan doesn’t understand anything in the moment, but if there’s one thing he wants to think about, he wants to think about his whole energy being invested in pulling up Hansol, and focuses whatever muscle strength he possesses into the rope he holds. For a second, he lets his mind wander just a smidge--and his mind returns to that vision he saw during the first kiss he shared with Hansol. Had that vision been a premonition for the events occurring now? Was Seungkwan a danger to Hansol? Was Hansol already destined for this fate since the beginning?

Seungkwan doesn’t want to make hypotheses.

Instead, he wishes for no regrets. He wants to tell Hansol how much he loves him, wants to shower him in warm embraces and delicate kisses sprinkled across the expanse of his beautiful face, wants to feel his figure against his so that he can be reassured that, yes, Hansol is alive and well, wants to feel the routine motion of his breathing that would serenade Seungkwan into relief. 

And that is everything he does when Hansol’s broken the surface.

When Hansol’s shoulders are visible, Mingyu and Jun hastily run to him, although treading carefully, and immediately go to pull the rest of Hansol up onto safe land. Seungkwan can see Hansol stall for a few seconds before realizing his safety, and the first thing he does is launch himself towards Seungkwan.

“HANSOL!” Seungkwan screeches, burying himself into the crook of the younger’s neck. He can hear Hansol breathe in, relishing in Seungkwan’s warm presence. Seungkwan’s mind blanks with static as the only thing he could think about was the body wrapped around him, and how a misstep could have had this body many feet down on the forest floor. 

He can sense the others’ bewilderment behind him, but nothing really mattered in that moment other than reassuring himself that Hansol was okay.

“Seungkwan…” Hansol sighs into his neck, and Seungkwan’s never felt such bliss.

“You’re okay, Hansol. You’re okay.”

But the stars could only interfere so much.

Seungkwan doesn’t hear the crack of the edge.

* * *

This time, Jihoon knows where he is.

He’s visited this place in the last vision he had, but this time, he knows things. He can associate names with faces, places with proper titles, and lanterns with proper events.

It seems he’s in the same memory as last time, but now, he has a chance to uncover more. 

A few meters away from where Hansol and Seungkwan-- _Jaesang_ and _Hyeongi_ \--stood with their blazing lanterns and bucket of ink, Jihoon gasps as he recognizes two other faces nearby. Chan’s stare, his youthful eyes lit with an unreadable emotion, was directed towards Hansol and Seungkwan. Before Jihoon could think that Chan would be the threat to Hansol and Seungkwan’s relationship,

he also saw that Jisoo was calmly standing next to him.

“Hajoon,” he hears Chan address Jisoo, “do you think we can send off a lantern of our own?”

He sees Jisoo-- _Hajoon_ \--blink once before turning to Chan. “Chung-Ae, that lantern legend is only for lovers. You should release a lantern with the person you truly cherish.”

“I cherish you!” Hajoon can see Chan’s-- _Chung-Ae’s_ eyes brim with tears. “Isn’t that enough?”

Hajoon’s eyes weep as he puts down the bucket of ink he was holding and moves to engulf Chung-Ae in a delicate hug. “You know the love you have for me doesn’t match the one desired in the legend. To truly fulfill the legend, you must be sending off a lantern with Jaesang.”

“Hajoon, just--” Chung-Ae stifles a sob. “--just let me have at least someone to float a lantern with.”

Although he hesitates, Hajoon complies with Chung-Ae’s demand. “As you wish.”

Silently, Jihoon observes them as they write their names on the lantern while they sit on the riverbank, waiting for the signal to release the lanterns. When it finally comes, it is Chung-Ae who releases their lantern, leaving Hajoon to look upon the innumerable lanterns himself. 

“Hajoon?”

“Hmm?”

“I wish we can be friends forever. I believe I will always need someone like you in my life.”

Hajoon hides his grimace as he replies, “I believe I will always need you, too.” Chung-Ae sneaks one last look at Jaesang and Hyeongi, who are now passionately kissing each other. The lanterns must serve as wonderful witnesses to their love. 

Jihoon has never seen Chan cry, but if it’s anything akin to seeing the tears spill from Chung-Ae’s face, then he doesn’t know if he could handle such a sight in the present.

He watches Hajoon notice Chung-Ae’s sadness, and he finds him admirable for trying to wipe the younger’s tears. But then Hajoon stands up to leave Chung-Ae, and Jihoon doesn’t want to believe that Hajoon was concealing a sharp knife under his sleeve. 

Noticing Jaesang and Hyeongi lost in each other, Hajoon stealthily slips forward and drives the knife into Jaesang’s back. As Jaesang was blinded by love, Hajoon was able to drive the knife a few centimeters deep into the body before taking it out again and returning to Chung-Ae’s side before realizing something was wrong in the air.

When Jihoon catches sight of the bloody hole Jaesang sported on his back, his head suddenly burst with three sets of memories.

A vision going black.

A hand warmed with fresh blood.

A set of hands wrapping around Chung-Ae’s back in the heat of the incoming comet.

Being overwhelmed by the amount of memories powering through his head, Jihoon struggled to regain his eyesight, only to encounter a blazing fire striking the Village of Rose Petals, causing mass destruction and despair--

\--and he forces himself to sit up, waking up from the gruesome vision he just witnessed.

 _It’s Jisoo,_ his mind races, _It’s definitely Jisoo, I need to warn Hansol, I need to warn everyone else--_

“...hoon! JIHOON!” 

Jihoon refocuses his senses and finally notices Chan rocking his shoulders back and forth. “Chan.” The furrow in the youngest’s forehead perturbs Jihoon. “Why…?”

“It’s Seungkwan! We need your phone since you’re the only one out of us with a connection here!”

He’s understandably still groggy, but Jihoon can’t ignore the frantic tone in Chan’s voice. “What should I do with it?”

Chan lets out a sob, unable to hold his emotions in. “Call 119!

_**"Seungkwan’s fallen off the cliff!”** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: the final chapter!


	14. Prophecy Fulfilled [END]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens in the aftermath of chaos?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the end! Aah!
> 
> It's probably the longest chapter of this fic! AAH!
> 
> Without further ado,
> 
> here's the final chapter!

The first thing Seungkwan registers is the sound of rushing water.

To him, it’s familiar. It brings him back to the fun he had with the others during the camping trip, and it’s a call to nature that he didn’t know he needed. He needed to get out of the bustling city. Seungcheol was really smart for suggesting the trip in the first place.

But it doesn’t take long for Seungkwan’s memory to return, and he sucks in a quick breath out of fear. He thinks he's safe.

He doesn’t know how much time has passed. 

Maybe he’s already dead.

When he finally sits up, the dark night sky accompanies him to keep him from being lonely. However, Seungkwan spots an easily recognizable figure, standing by a river he didn’t know existed until now, and he’s relieved. “HANSOL!” Seungkwan dusts the dirt off his clothes to join Hansol, elated to see him, but something’s different.

Hansol’s general appearance was something to remark upon. Gone was the casual sleepwear he wore the previous night; he now donned a navy blue _jeogori_ with a white _sokgui_ underneath, and his _baji_ pants matched the _jeogori’s_ color. Although his choice of Korean traditional clothing was certainly eye-catching, the feature that surprised Seungkwan the most was Hansol’s hair: long by a few centimeters, his hair was the perfect combination of volume and waves, and his bangs fell on the sides of his head. 

With regards to Hansol’s face, Seungkwan dared to say he looked younger; Hansol’s jawline hasn’t properly set in yet, leaving him with a boyish charm Seungkwan has never seen before.

“Seungkwan, huh?” 'Hansol' muses, and Seungkwan definitely believes he’s talking to a younger version of his love. “I see you’ve lived well in your second life.”

“Second life…?” Fear crept up on Seungkwan as he took in the unfamiliarity of the whole situation. 

“Ah. You probably don’t know about reincarnation, do you?” 

“Reincarnation?” Seungkwan understands the idea, but for him to be a reincarnation of someone... “You mean I’m someone’s reincarnation?”

“Yes.” For a second, Seungkwan thought he could detect a fond look in Hansol-- _Younger Hansol’s_ eyes. “However, not everyone can remember their past life. Or lives.”

“Huh.” Seungkwan looks at Younger Hansol up and down. “So I’m guessing you’re Hansol, from his previous life?”

“If that is my name in the life you're from, then yes, that’s me.”

“Does that mean we met in our past lives?”

“Oh, Seungkwan.” Younger Hansol, smiling proudly, takes hold of Seungkwan’s hands. “We were blessed. Blessed to stay together, no matter the life.” With his words, Seungkwan’s eyes sting with tears of joy. It was logical, after all. Seungkwan knew he felt natural with Hansol for a reason. He never thought reincarnation would be the explanation.

“What’s your name?” Seungkwan asks, curious about Hansol’s identity in his past life.

“It’s a shame you had to forget it all. You don’t even remember my name.” Younger Hansol holds out a hand, beckoning Seungkwan. “Would you like to remember everything again?”

And Seungkwan almost does that. He almost jumps into Younger Hansol’s arms, wishing to understand everything that he’s forgotten and to bask in the foundation of the love he had with him. He almost takes his hand with gusto as his heart no longer hesitated when it came to Hansol.

But Seungkwan doesn’t belong in Younger Hansol’s life.

The life he belonged in involved a Hansol he fostered a history with. It involved a Hansol who never failed to make him smile even during the most difficult of times, or a Hansol who always managed to make a tedious room more interesting with his presence. The life he belonged in involved a Hansol who Seungkwan still wanted to appreciate more--a Hansol who had so much to give.

The life Seungkwan belonged in involved more time to write a never-ending story with a Hansol he wanted to explore for the rest of his life.

With his newfound conviction, Seungkwan takes two steps backward away from Younger Hansol. “You’ve made your choice,” Younger Hansol states.

Seungkwan gulps. “Somehow, I think going with you will...change things. I’m sorry, but I can’t come with you.”

Younger Hansol actually seems relieved at Seungkwan’s response. “I’m glad you have your priorities set. I knew you’d make the right choice.”

Seungkwan wanted to say something else, but something in the sky distracted him. Flying towards the two of them was a giant ball of light. Its presence and display of power were alluring to Seungkwan’s eyes, but Younger Hansol continued to stare at Seungkwan as if he was the only thing that mattered in the world. 

“In this second life of yours, _Seungkwan…_ ” Younger Hansol spoke, emphasizing Seungkwan’s name, “...I pray that you live well.”

Before Seungkwan could say anything else, the first impact hits the riverbank, and in an instant of stardust and fire,

Younger Hansol was reduced to ashes,

and Seungkwan wakes up on a hospital bed.

* * *

Hansol believes he’ll live long enough to experience a lot of things, but he certainly never expected to experience a severe lack of hunger. Frankly speaking, he didn’t even realize he had such a symptom until a small conversation he had with Mingyu earlier this morning. As a result, he was forced away from Seungkwan’s unconscious body for a light meal at the hospital cafeteria; it had been best to eat light after going without a meal for two straight days.

After that fateful morning, things have changed, but Hansol didn’t pay any mind to them. Seungkwan was hanging on by a thread, and Hansol was desperate for his survival.

Hansol replaced Seungkwan’s family during visiting hours as they couldn’t make the plane trip across Harport--by skipping classes, meals, and hangouts with friends, Seungkwan has been Hansol’s number-one priority. Hansol didn’t want to entertain the possibility of loss, so he stayed by Seungkwan’s side as a way of praying to whatever deities were out there for Seungkwan’s life. 

Of course, that didn’t mean the others weren't concerned. Most of the time, they came in groups to visit Seungkwan. However, when Soonyoung came alone to check up on both Seungkwan and Hansol, Hansol had broken down in the comfort of the older’s arms as he expressed his doubts regarding Seungkwan’s survival, and Soonyoung, distrustful of any encouraging words he could possibly give, hugged his junior as tightly as possible that afternoon.

Today marks the third day Seungkwan remains unconscious, and the sunken cheeks on Hansol’s face have become more prominent. The chair he’s been using to sit beside Seungkwan has familiarized Hansol into its grooves, and Hansol has no place he’d rather be. It wasn’t easy to listen to the doctors who had operated on him; they said they had to wait a few days to truly see Seungkwan’s fate, and Hansol had found it difficult to heed such foreboding words.

Sighing heavily, Hansol clasps Seungkwan’s left hand and lays his head against it. He knows it’s not healthy to neglect himself like this, but he can’t help but worry. He knows there are other things in which he should be investing his time, such as the validity of Jisoo’s words during that morning. For all Hansol knew, he might have also lost Chan; they haven’t shared a word ever since that morning.

Toxic thoughts sink their poisoned thorns into Hansol's being, but he hangs onto Seungkwan for some sense of balance in his apparently turbulent life.

Even though the hum of hospital equipment has been ingrained into his brain for the next decade, Hansol’s still capable of detecting change--change that especially arrives in the form of a rapidly beeping heart rate monitor. He jerks his head upwards to see whether he’s hearing things correctly; Hansol could be hallucinating from the lack of self-care.

But alas, the rapid heartbeats eventually settle into a wonderfully harmonious rhythm of _life_ , and Hansol breaks down at the sight of Seungkwan’s open eyes. “Seungkwan!” Using both of his hands, Hansol desperately grabs at Seungkwan’s hand. His eyes blur with tears saturated with relief. “Can you hear me? Are you okay?”

Seungkwan, grinning with an emotion Hansol couldn’t identify, slowly wraps his hand around Hansol’s two. “I’m here, Hansol. I’m okay.” 

“Seungkwan…” Hansol leans forward and makes their foreheads come into contact with each other. “...you’re here. You’re actually here...”

Although the time passed was merely a few minutes in reality, they reveled in each other’s presence. Hansol realized he could never get enough of feeling Seungkwan with him; to be reassured with life from the sight of Seungkwan’s full cheeks puffed with a smile; from the sensation of warmth shared between them in close proximities; from the sound of the heart rate monitor signaling a bare escape from death’s door…

Seungkwan was alive.

And for the both of them, that was all that mattered for now.

* * *

Seungkwan needed another day to himself to make sure he was okay, but when tomorrow came, his hospital room has never been livelier.

Everyone came at once to visit the newly-awakened Seungkwan, and it wasn’t long until the room became cramped and boisterous with the bubbling energy of eleven young men. In that room, the men shared anecdotes, and each of them confessed how worried they were for Seungkwan’s wellbeing. 

“It was a good thing there were trees below to cushion your fall, huh?” Seokmin grinned.

“Trees? _I got stabbed by a branch!_ ” Seungkwan deadpans, and the whole room erupts in laughter. “I’m just lucky I survived. But I noticed someone's missing from the group today. Where's Jisoo?”

At the mention of Jisoo, the mood of the room dampened quickly, leaving everyone in a solemn silence. “The thing is,” Jeonghan began, “Jisoo’s been unconscious since the camping trip.”

“Unconscious? What happened?!”

Jun nods. “By the time we panicked about you, Jisoo was passed out on that same edge you fell from. He couldn’t wake up no matter what we did, so we also took him to the hospital.”

“Will he be okay?”

“The doctors aren’t sure.” Chan chimes in, eyes slightly puffy. “Jisoo’s situation is something they’ve never had before, so they’ve been looking into ways of waking him up. But they haven’t been successful…”

In an instant, it was as if the joy from earlier never existed, and for a few moments the men were steeped in mild anguish over their friend. Since Seungkwan and Hansol were the only ones who knew what truly transpired during that morning’s events, the others haven’t been able to get any information that explained Jisoo’s current condition. Hansol had been more available than Seungkwan, for obvious reasons, but when they’d seen the former sunk in his woes over the latter, they couldn’t ask about anything. 

But they needed to know what happened. “Hansol, Seungkwan…” Seungcheol breathes before continuing. “...what happened between you guys and Jisoo?”

The two people in question turned to each other. Hansol was the one who had the most information, but was he willing to reveal anything just yet? “Guys,” he addressed them, “I know you guys are confused. I know you really want to know what happened that morning because it’s what caused this whole mess in the first place.” Hansol looks down, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. “However, the argument I had with Jisoo contains some really personal information that I believe shouldn’t be publicly shared. If there’s something I can definitely tell you guys, it was completely my fault.”

“What did you even do, Hansol?” Chan daringly asks, and Hansol clenches his fists.

“I was tactless.” With the finality of his tone, everyone knew not to press any further, and Jisoo was no longer mentioned in the conversation. 

* * *

However, Jisoo still ran through some minds, so after the congregation held at Seungkwan’s room, Jihoon and Seokmin made their way to his room. 

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived,” a voice interrupts the air upon their entrance, and Seokmin’s soul nearly evaporates from his body.

“Minghao! What if one of our friends found you here?” Jihoon scolds him.

Indeed, Minghao was already inside the room. “The stars probably told him the perfect times to visit,” Seokmin scoffs, and Minghao smirks.

“More or less. Anyways,” he stands up and grabs his cane from the side of his chair, “thank you for being here. There’s something I must share with you regarding Jisoo. I’m sure both of you already know about the life he used to lead in the Village of Rose Petals.”

Seokmin recalls what Jihoon told both him and Minghao after Seungkwan and Jisoo were taken to the hospital. “I still can’t believe it. Jisoo was in love with Chan, but Chan was in love with Hansol. Jisoo hurt Hansol because of that...and the fact that history’s repeated itself really scares me.” He clutches his head; just thinking about the complexity of it all made his brain ache.

“I was also surprised when I had that vision,” Jihoon comments. “But when you look at them in this life, it makes sense. Jisoo’s been very protective of Chan a lot these past few weeks. Never thought he was in _love_ with him…”

“Nevertheless,” Minghao interrupts their deep thought, “things have turned out this way for a reason. And the stars have made an important ruling.”

“Ruling?” After hearing the word, the hairs on the back of Seokmin’s neck frightfully tingle. “What do you mean?”

Before Minghao could say anything, the door opened to reveal an elderly woman dressed in a black pantsuit. Although she may seem old, the way she carried herself portrayed wisdom and diligence in her actions. Helplessness was absent in her stead. “ _Minghao,_ ” she beams upon seeing him, “I can’t believe you’re _here_! Of all the eras the stars could’ve chosen for you…and to have the chance to meet you…”

“It was destiny, Madam Jeon,” Minghao says, and he feels her grasp his hand in a prideful handshake. “I’m sure you’re well aware of that.”

“Indeed I am.” Her attention diverted towards the other two men in the room. “Ah, the chosen ones of the present. What a shame to greet you during such dismal circumstances.”

Suddenly, Seokmin recalls why the woman before him seemed so familiar. He’s seen that intense gaze of determination on one of his own friends. “Aren’t you Wonwoo’s grandmother?”

“That’s correct.” Madam Jeon nods towards him. “However, I am also a direct descendant of the medicine man from the Village of Rose Petals. He specialized in crystals and medicinal herbs to cure the villagers of different illnesses. I’ve carefully preserved the information that’s been passed down over generations, and now that I have a chance to finally use it…” Her eyes appeared to be glossy for a second before she turned to Minghao to complete the rest of her thoughts. “...my ancestors must be smiling down upon us from their spots with the stars. Thank you again, Minghao, for letting me fulfill the stars’ wishes.”

“Oh, please don’t thank me. Your gratitude is better placed amongst the stars.”

Out of curiosity, Jihoon asks her, “Will you pass down your knowledge to Wonwoo?”

“That’s a concern for another time, I’m afraid.” Madam Jeon sets her bag onto the chair. “Shall we get started?”

“What are you guys doing? And what did the stars want you to do?” Seokmin questioned nervously.

“Jisoo is a dangerous figure to have around Hansol and Seungkwan.” Minghao adjusted his glasses as his words cut Jihoon and Seokmin. “He caused misery for them in the past, and he caused misery for them in the present. At this rate, he seems bound on remembering his past life, which will just pose him as a larger threat to not only Hansol and Seungkwan, but to anyone in their lives.”

Jihoon gasped. “Don’t tell me you’re going to _kill_ him…!” 

“Of course not, you silly boy!” Madam Jeon reassures them. “The stars have given instructions, and I’ve been summoned to remove Jisoo’s memories for good. He won’t forget _everything_ ; he’ll only forget Hansol and Seungkwan, which will also include anyone surrounding the two.”

Seokmin doesn’t know what to feel. “So he’ll not only forget about Hansol and Seungkwan…”

“...he’ll forget about the group. About all of us.” Jihoon could feel himself paling.

“Precisely. This is the punishment the stars have given him. He is not to remember his past life in any way, shape, or form--and that means erasing aspects of his past life evident in the present,” Minghao explains.

“This won't hurt him, right? It's just his memory being affected..."

Minghao doesn’t tell them about Jisoo’s condemnation to an eternity longing for someone he can no longer remember. “He’ll forget you and everyone else, but other than that, he’ll be perfectly fine. Madam Jeon, shall we?”

“Absolutely,” she confirms, and takes out a few things from her bag. They weren’t much, merely an ornate vial containing a sparkling, pink viscous substance and a thin rose quartz crystal embedded into a necklace chain, but what happened next was something Jihoon and Seokmin could have never imagined.

Madam Jeon steps forward to get closer to the unconscious Jisoo. Delicately holding the vial in one hand, she uses her other hand to uncap it and pour some of the glimmering substance onto her fingers. With a resolute line defining her lips, Madam Jeon smears the substance onto Jisoo’s forehead and lifts up the rose quartz crystal in her free hand. “Minghao, the incantation, please.”

Jihoon and Seokmin, unsure of what will happen, naturally take a few steps back to prevent themselves from being caught up in the witchery Madam Jeon would participate in. As she positions the crystal a few centimeters above Jisoo’s forehead, Minghao’s clear-cut voice rang through the small hospital room:

**_Per aspera ad astra,_ **

**_amore et melle et felle es fecundissimus._ **

**_Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit._ **

**_Nemo mortalium omnibus horis sapit._ **

**_Ad meliora,_ **

**_alea iacta est._ **

The crystal in Madam Jeon’s hand starts to shimmer, and Jihoon has to pinch himself to understand that what he’s seeing was no illusion. From Jisoo’s forehead, the substance smeared on earlier was glowing and changing color to a fiery red, and it transformed into particles of light hovering above Jisoo’s head. These particles then snaked through the air and became absorbed into the rose quartz crystal, which became redder by the second.

When the process was complete, Jisoo’s forehead was now clean, and Madam Jeon was pocketing both the vial and the now-fiery red crystal. “It’s done,” Seokmin mutters in disbelief.

Jihoon nods numbly. “I can’t believe he’s really forgotten us…”

“He was a good friend despite his actions. We’ll really miss him.”

Seeing the dejected looks on their faces, Minghao turns to them and smiles sadly in understanding. “I’m sure you will. But he had bad intentions deep within his heart, and the stars made sure his heart was purified.”

“Can we still be friends with him even though he’s forgotten about us?” Seokmin’s eyes gleam with hope, and Minghao sighs.

“That...may be difficult.”

* * *

Chan, the next day, visited Jisoo. He’d been so worried about the older after seeing his limp body at the cliff’s edge. Of course, Seungkwan was also on his mind, but Jisoo had done so much for him. He’d brought him happiness and good companionship, especially during the heartbreak he faced after discovering Hansol’s love for Seungkwan. So it was natural for Chan to be worried about Jisoo.

Stepping into the cold hospital room, Chan walked until he stood by Jisoo’s hospital bed. “Hey, Jisoo.” He doesn’t know why he’s been feeling nervous every time he talks to an unconscious Jisoo. “It’s been...four days since you’ve passed out, and you haven’t woken up yet. Well, that’s pretty obvious, since you’re not talking to me at all…”

He gulps before continuing. The tears would be falling again. “You’re so weird, you know that? You go ahead and faint without anyone’s permission, and now you can’t wake up. You didn’t even fall like Seungkwan! You just _fainted_. And that’s it. Aren’t you being a bit stubborn? Why won’t you just wake up? I just…” His eyes burn. “...want you here…”

Chan turns away and furiously wipes his tears before he could say anything else, but when he turns back to the hospital bed,

Jisoo’s wide awake, staring at him. 

“No way…” Chan’s lips tremble from shock. “You’re actually awake…?”

Jisoo settles into his normal calm aura and nods in response to Chan’s question. “Yeah, I am. I’m not sure why I’m in the hospital, but I’m awake now.”

Wrapping his arms around Jisoo’s shoulders, Chan buries his head into the crook of Jisoo’s neck. “YOU’RE ACTUALLY AWAKE!” He couldn’t believe it--he had been beginning to lose hope for Jisoo, after all. But Chan knew what to do now. He knew he had to appreciate Jisoo’s presence in his life more; after unexpectedly losing him for a few days, Chan now realizes how precious Jisoo was to him, and he didn’t want to let go of him from now on.

“But, um…” At the sound of Jisoo’s voice, Chan lets go of him and stands again. “...who exactly are you?”

The sound of a heart shattering echoes in Chan’s ears. “What?”

Jisoo appears more uncomfortable by the second, and Chan has never become this breathless around him. “I don’t seem to remember you, I’m afraid. Would you mind telling me your name again?”

Who knew a simple question could slice wounds? Chan couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did Jisoo lose his memory after fainting?

Before Jisoo’s amnesia could sink into Chan, the younger noticed something. As a ray of sunlight shines through the blinds, Chan sees that Jisoo’s eyes have changed. Although it may look like Jisoo’s dark brown irises have remained intact, there was a thin gold ring encircling each iris. As Chan opens his mouth to comment on it, clouds block the sun, and Jisoo’s eyes revert to their original state.

(Chan would never know that those rings are a reminder of Jisoo’s eternal punishment. He would never be able to see from Jisoo’s eyes--eyes that, instead of seeing Chan’s twinkling eyes and trembling lips, see nothing but smooth skin on Chan’s face.

The sight haunts Jisoo, but he still believes he’s dreaming and that he hasn’t woken up yet. So he doesn’t make any move to show panic.

For now.) 

In the meantime, Chan’s heart betrays him, and a single tear falls from his left eye.

“I’m...Chan.” He grits his words out through messy tears and a nasal voice. Jisoo nods, but his expression remains eerily blank. “Nice to meet you.”

* * *

A day after Seungkwan’s discharge, Hansol, holding a picnic basket, came to his dorm early in the morning. “Surprise!” Hansol whispers in the eve of dusk, and Seungkwan blinks sluggishly at him.

“Hansol? What’s all this?”

“Go get dressed. I’m definitely spending some time with you today before everyone else gets to you.”

Luckily, it didn’t take long for Seungkwan to get ready, and sooner than later, Hansol and Seungkwan find themselves walking over grass in a park near Paion University. With the dusk sky serving as a guardian over the waking people, the two of them were at peace after the stressful week they just had. They laid out a blanket on the empty grass, and Seungkwan was in awe over the spread of food Hansol had prepared for the both of them.

Despite the happy occasion it may seem to be, the early picnic that morning allowed Hansol and Seungkwan time to process what happened to the two of them. “I heard Jisoo has woken up recently,” Seungkwan starts.

“Has he now?”

“Yeah.” Seungkwan takes a sip from a water bottle. “Do you plan on talking to him?”

At that, Hansol sighs and looks down at his plate. “I know he didn’t mean to push me. He was just angry at what I’d done. Honestly, if I was in his position, I would also feel exactly the way he felt. But I’m sure he didn’t mean to push me intentionally.”

“I’m guessing you’re still not going to share what really happened that morning?”

Hansol did think about telling Seungkwan. He did believe the other deserved to know; he was admitted into the hospital _because_ of what happened. However, Jisoo and Chan were still Hansol’s friends, and he’s sure they wouldn’t appreciate him telling Seungkwan about something so personal. Hansol hasn’t even confirmed Jisoo’s words yet with Chan.

So as he remains without any permission to divulge anything, Hansol shakes his head at Seungkwan. “I’m sorry, Seungkwan. I really wish I could tell you. But…”

“No, it’s fine.” Seungkwan rests his head on Hansol’s shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I’d rather have you talk to him first.”

Hansol’s lips quiver with joy after seeing Seungkwan’s compassionate nature. He tightly squeezes Seungkwan’s hand once. “How did you feel when you woke up?”

At that moment, the image of a younger Hansol flashes through Seungkwan’s head, but Seungkwan can’t properly form the image. “I think I was okay, but it felt like I came out of a very long dream.”

“What did you dream about?”

“I can’t remember. But honestly--" Seungkwan pauses for dramatic effect. "--I think being with you already feels like a long dream to me. A dream I never want to wake up from.”

Hansol’s cheeks splatter with a redness Seungkwan could get used to. “So this is how you feel every time I say something corny…”

“Hey! What I said was the truth!” Seungkwan protests, and their noisy laughter could be heard around the entire neighborhood.

Eventually, their laughter settles into bouts of calm breathing, and a welcoming silence relaxes them. “Man,” Hansol exhales, “if you saw me these past couple of days...I was a mess. I thought you were gonna die.” He looks away after his admission.

Seungkwan, on the other hand, whines. “I think you could’ve died before me! Did you think I’d be happy to hear from Mingyu about how much you’ve neglected yourself? I understand you were worried for me, but I think I would’ve immediately died after waking up if I saw you unconscious at my hospital bed!”

Hansol laughs and places his head on Seungkwan’s, and Seungkwan realizes how much he’s missed his laughter. “I’m sorry for worrying you.” Seungkwan lifts his head off of Hansol’s shoulders, and they properly face each other. “How could you ever forgive me?”

“Maybe you could make it up to me somehow...” Seungkwan’s joking around, faking an ignorant expression, but then he surprises Hansol with a quick peck on the lips. Hansol grins, but Seungkwan pouts. “That wasn’t enough, though. I think something like this would be better.” Placing his hand on Hansol’s nape, Seungkwan leans in and solders their lips together, letting Hansol’s eyes flutter shut.

Their hearts beat together as they tune out their senses to focus on each other. They had forgotten the rush of adrenaline that came with every kiss they shared: Hansol’s skin burns with an unstoppable energy, and the warmth in Seungkwan’s heart spreads throughout his body. They tune themselves to each other’s frequencies, hoping to never lose each other ever again. 

The stars could help with that.

Suddenly, they push away each other, with Seungkwan even scooting back a few centimeters away from Hansol. It was a fascinating sight, seeing the two of them in the glow of morning light; seeing their faces morph from pure shock to raw realization despite the lack of an exchange of words. They wordlessly stared at each other for a few minutes as all the words they couldn’t find until now sank into their souls. To others, what they were experiencing now could’ve been seen as torture by subjecting Hansol and Seungkwan to multiple bouts of overwhelming emotion, but the two of them saw it as a liberation--a liberation from the unknown.

And they have never felt so free.

“H-Hyeongi?” Hansol utters the first word to calmly tarnish their initial silence. 

Seungkwan’s tears are set on an inevitable course down his face. “Jaesang!”

And they crash into each other, but no destruction occurs, not like on the night of the Great Comet. They crash into each other because they’ve been so _lost_ ever since that fated night. However, they were never lost in the first place. 

Although they’ve already found each other, they haven’t properly recognized each other until now.

Maybe they lost their way for a while.

But they would never lose each other,

and the stars would guarantee that for eternity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, this fic comes to a happy ending, happy ending~🎵 (AYY)
> 
> I'm a day late on delivering this chapter, but it's here :D
> 
> Man, it’s been a blast finishing my first proper chaptered fic. This was a whole experience altogether, and I took care in preparing it in the most meticulous manner possible. I’ve been writing this fic during a very stressful period of my life—rip uni admissions—and I’m glad to have finished this in the starting weeks of my first year at uni.
> 
> One thing I’d certainly like to clear up in this chapter: the little dream Seungkwan had before was the stars’ way of giving Seungkwan a second chance at life. So yeah. Glad Seungkwan decided to stay with Hansol :D
> 
> In any case, thanks for reading! If you have any questions (or if you just wanna screech at me lol), don’t hesitate to leave a comment below :D
> 
> See ya in the next fic~
> 
> -eevee

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a kudos or a comment (or both lmao) if you liked it!


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